Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest shrines, declared Monday that the holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the conclusion of the Ramadan fast, will begin on Wednesday.
According to the Muslim lunar calendar, the sighting of the crescent moon determines the start of Eid al-Fitr.
On Monday, the crescent moon was not visible.
The United Arab Emirates and Qatar also announced that Eid al-Fitr, a festival traditionally celebrated with family gatherings, will begin on Wednesday.
Ramadan, a month of daytime fasting, is one of Islam’s five pillars.
Observant Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from sunrise until dark, and they traditionally break their fast in the evening with family and friends.
Ramadan is also a time for prayer, with the faithful congregating in huge numbers in mosques, particularly at night.
Fasting is widely followed in Saudi Arabia, home to the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina.
The Saudis are expected to have a four-day holiday for Eid al-Fitr.
This year’s Ramadan celebrations were overshadowed by the war in Gaza, where Israel’s military operation to destroy Hamas has killed at least 33,207 people.
As per the Israeli statistics, the war was triggered by a Hamas militant strike on Israel on October 7, which killed 1,170 people, mostly civilians.
Hamas group also kidnapped more than 250 Israeli and foreign hostages, 129 of whom are still in Gaza, including 34 who the army claims are dead.
Mediators pushed in vain for a truce to take effect before Ramadan began.
Talks on a truce have resumed in Cairo, but no breakthrough has been declared.
Also read: Hamas And Israel Talk About Gaza Truce Deal
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