A child stands among the people taking part in Eid al-Fitr prayers in Bucharest, Romania. Members of the country's Muslim community gathered at the massive Dinamo soccer stadium in the Romanian capital.
Balloons, body paint, joy and mourning — across the world Sunday, Muslims gathered to celebrate the end of the holy month of Ramadan, and the festivities took nearly as many shapes as the places they were held.
Now, not every Muslim opened the Eid al-Fitr holiday Sunday. Because it relies on a lunar calendar, the festival marking the start of the new month depends on a sighting of the moon, which can vary from place to place. In Pakistan, for instance, worshipers are to wait until Monday for their celebrations.
But much of the world had no such wait.
In countries on just about every continent, Muslims gathered for prayer, reflection and a joyous conclusion to the fasting month of Ramadan. Just in case you can't make it to these dozens of countries yourself Sunday, here's a glimpse of the festivities.
Egypt
Samer Abdullah / AFP/Getty Images
/
AFP/Getty Images
Egyptians gather on a city street in Cairo to pray beneath bunches of balloons.
Romania
Ivory Coast
Sia Kambou / AFP/Getty Images
/
AFP/Getty Images
A man painted with the phrase "Happy Ramadan" in French dances through the streets of Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
Iraq
Mohamed el-Shahed / AFP/Getty Images
/
AFP/Getty Images
An Iraqi family who fled the fighting in Mosul walk through a camp for displaced people, south of the embattled city. For many Iraqis, especially those from war-torn Mosul, Eid al-Fitr would have to be celebrated far from home.
Yemen
Mohammed Huwais / AFP/Getty Images
/
AFP/Getty Images
A Yemeni man bearing a gun walks through a cemetery after prayers in the country's capital, Sanaa. For more than two years, Yemen has been ravaged by civil war, and now the country is also facing the "worst cholera outbreak in the world," world health authorities say.
Indonesia
Binsar Bakkara / AP
/
AP
Young men wash up before performing their Eid al-Fitr prayer at a mosque near Mount Sinabung, an active volcano in Indonesia.
Old City of Jerusalem
Ahmad Gharabli / AFP/Getty Images
/
AFP/Getty Images
A Palestinian woman holds onto some balloons before the morning Eid al-Fitr prayer near the Dome of Rock in Jerusalem.
Nigeria
Sunday Alamba / AP
/
AP
Young men offer Eid al-Fitr prayers outdoors in Lagos, Nigeria's largest city.
The U.S.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
Justin Merriman / Getty Images
/
Getty Images
Aya Attal, 17, hugs a friend at an Eid al-Fitr celebration in a park in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Colin Dwyer covers breaking news for NPR. He reports on a wide array of subjects — from politics in Latin America and the Middle East, to the latest developments in sports and scientific research.
This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members —
listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.
We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a
community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.
Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are
building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.
Haiti's de facto prime minister, Ariel Henry, has formally stepped down and a new transitional council has been sworn in. Finance chief Michel Patrick Boisvert is the new interim prime minister.
