Eid al Fitr

What is this religious holiday about?

Eid al Fitr, also known as Eid, is the festival which marks the end of Ramadan. It is a happy occasion and a day of true thanksgiving for Muslims. The day begins with giving to charity and prayers in the Mosque, and then Muslims share celebratory meals with family and friends and exchange gifts. As with the start of Ramadan, the exact date of this festival also depends on the sighting of the moon.

When is the festival taking place?

In the UK, Eid 2025 is expected to start on the evening of Saturday 29 March and is expected to end on the evening of Sunday 30th March.

Please keep in mind that the Islamic calendar follows the phases of the moon, also known as “the lunar cycle.” This means that the exact start and end date of this holiday can vary according to the sighting of the moon and where your organisation is based.

You can use the Adhan Ramadan Calendar to check when this festival starts and ends in the UK, but make sure you select the right location for your organisation as the start time will vary across different countries and locations.

You’ll notice in the image above a traditional Indonesian drum known as a bedug drum. These bedug drums call people to prayer or welcome the Eid al-Fitr festival, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Why do Muslims celebrate this religious holiday?

Eid was established by the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) to mark the conclusion of Ramadan. It marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, and the day serves as a reward for Muslims who observe fasts and engage in prayer.

Facts you should know

Here are a few quick facts to know about this celebration:

• If you would like to share well wishes with your colleagues you can say “Eid Mubarak”, which means “Happy Eid.”
• The holiday is expected to take place on Saturday 29th March but this may change depending on sightings of the moon.
• The holiday is celebrated by 1.9 billion people worldwide.
• Eid al Fitr is different from Eid al Adha. Eid al Adha takes place later in the year and is the second main holiday celebrated in Islam.

How to celebrate in the workplace

There are numerous ways to support people celebrating Eid al Fitr, including:

• Talking with your Muslim colleagues about how they celebrate this festival
• Booking Islam in the Workplace training to learn how to make the workplace more inclusive of our Muslim colleagues.
• Downloading our Islam factsheet to learn more about Islam and how to make the workplace inclusive to those who practice the religion.
• Share our faith, religion and belief at work podcast with your inclusion network to learn more about the experiences of your religious colleagues.

Next steps to embed faith inclusion at work

If you would like to explore how the the best practice highlighted in this awareness day page can benefit your workplace, we would love to hear from you. Start the conversation by filling in the form below: