Eid Holiday Amusements

On the two major celebrations of the Islamic lunar calendar—Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha—public festivities in cities and towns across Muslim regions of Asia, Africa, and elsewhere include rides of various kinds. In the photograph at top from Jenin, in the West Bank city of Palestine, children and young adults ride a whirling disk brought in for the occasion. In the lower photograph, Afghani children ride swings suspended from wire cables. Large and small swings, slides, seesaws, elephant rides and moon bounces make up the amusements for Eid, or celebration day, enjoyed with family, food from street stalls, sweets, and gifts of money and toys. The occasion of Eid al-Fitr, shown in these images from September 2009, is the end of the month-long fast from dawn to sunset during the ninth lunar month of Ramadan. (Bracketed by the sighting of the new moon, the month of Ramadan may be 28 or 29 days in length.) During that month, adult Muslims are obligated to abstain from food, drink, and sexual activity, except for those whose health does not permit it, such as diabetics, or travelers, who make up the days later. Children show a remarkable enthusiasm for participating in the Ramadan fast, even though they are not required to fast. Beginning as young as 5 or 6, however, children join other members of the family to fast part of the day, or just a few days in the month. They also join in family meals, which often include guests, visits to other homes, and trips to the mosque (Arabic, masjid) for evening prayers. The first day of the tenth lunar month—Shawwal—is the day of Eid al-Fitr, which begins with prayers held outdoors to accommodate the huge crowds.