Fort Worth resident Eyad Al-Kobri hasn’t eaten much during the daytime this past month.
As a Muslim, Al-Kobri has been fasting to mark Ramadan, a holy month of reflection. But he will soon enjoy a feast of meat, rice and desserts with family and friends to celebrate the end of this holy period.
On April 21, Muslims around the world will gather and celebrate Eid-al-Fitr, which concludes the end of Ramadan. The religious holiday celebrates the breaking of the fast and expressing gratitude to Allah for his blessings.
“We’re celebrating the achievements of a long month, so everyone comes together to celebrate that,” he said
The Islamic Association of Tarrant County mosque in Fort Worth expects about 1,400 people to attend its Eid celebration Friday morning.
The day will begin with a prayer and a sermon at the mosque, said Al-Kobri, president of the Islamic Association. After the service, people will leave to go eat at restaurants, visit relatives, or stay and pray.
Mouaz Lababidi, president of the Mansfield-based Unity Islamic Center, said his mosque’s Eid celebration will last the whole weekend. The mosque will hold a community festival complete with Eid prayers, sermons and food.
The Unity Islamic Center mosque usually serves a small breakfast of doughnuts, coffee, tea and juice before the Eid congregation prayer. After the service, the mosque takes the children to Urban Air Adventure Park so they can play, Labididi said.
“It’s really for the kids, the adults enjoy the celebration, too, but the idea is to make sure that the kids are having a blast,” he said.
Fort Worth resident Mujeeb Khalil celebrates Eid-al-Fitr with his wife and three sons. He plans to take his family to the Islamic Center of Watauga for prayer, Khalil said. After the service, he and his wife plan to take their children to visit their grandparents in Frisco.
Later in the day, they plan to host a barbecue consisting of lamb, goat and chicken, either in their backyard or in a park for friends and family, Khalil said. The children play games and fish with each other while the adults chat and enjoy the weather.
“Visiting each other and having a good time is how everyone celebrates Eid,” he said.
Taylor Coit is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at taylor.coit@fortworthreport.org or on Twitter. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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