Eid al-Fitr in 2012 is on Sunday, the 19th of August

Eid al-Fitr in 2012 is on Sunday, the 19th of August.

Note that in the Muslim calander, a holiday begins on the sunset of the previous day, so observing Muslims will celebrate Eid al-Fitr on the sunset of Saturday, the 18th of August.

Although Eid al-Fitr is always on the same day of the Islamic calendar, the date on the Gregorian calendar varies from year to year, since the Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar and the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar. This difference means Eid al-Fitr moves in the Gregorian calendar approximately 11 days every year. The date of Eid al-Fitr may also vary from country to country depending on whether the moon has been sighted or not.

The dates provided here are based on the dates adopted by the Fiqh Council of North America for the celebration of Eid al-Fitr. Note that these dates are based on astronomical calculations to affirm each date, and not on the actual sighting of the moon with the naked eyes. This approach is accepted by many, but is still being hotly debated.

Eid Al Fitr 2012: Muslims Around The World Celebrate The End Of Ramadan

Muslims around the world celebrated with prayer before the Eid al-Fitr festival, marking the end of Ramadan 2012 or the Islamic holy month of fasting.

The three-day festival, sometimes abbreviated as Eid, marks the end of the month-long fasting during Ramadan, which began on July 20. Eid al Fitr begins after the new crescent moon appears and falls on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month in the Islamic lunar calendar typically when Muslims celebrate unity. During Eid, many join in Islamic prayer, known as salat while saying “Allahu Akbar,” or “God is Great” and feasting.

Ramadan is an annual celebration for Muslims during the ninth months of the Islamic calendar after the sighting of the new moon. It ends within 29 or 30 days when the new moon appears.

The purpose of Ramadan is to focus on spirituality, praying more often and withholding any acts of violence during the fast for Muslims worldwide, with the exception of the elderly, sick and pregnant.

As one of the five pillars of Islam, Muslims are expected to refrain from food and drink and abstain from smoking and sex each day during the celebration from dawn to dusk. The breaking of the fast, or iftaar, begins at dusk by eating dates. Some Muslims have slightly different variations and have broader definitions of practices during Ramadan.

The month-long fasting marks the anniversary of the Quran being revealed to the Prophet Mohammed.