Wednesday is an important day for Muslim faithful around the world. They will be celebrating Eid ul-Fitr, the breaking of the fast to mark the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
For 30 days, starting this year on July 9, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk, and abstain from smoking, swearing and sex. But believers in New Zealand would have spent far less time fasting than Islamic followers elsewhere.
Up to 10,000 Muslims are expected to unite at ASB Showgrounds to celebrate the third annual Auckland Eid Day on 9 or 10 August 2013 (lunar dependant), from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Muslims from across Auckland as well as members of the non-Muslim community have been invited to attend the joyous Eid al-Fitr festival. During Eid al-Fitr, Muslims come together in celebration of both spiritual observance through prayer and charity, as well as merriment and achievement marking the end of the 30-day fast through the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
When Ramadan falls is calculated by the lunar Islamic calendar, which means it moves about 11 days every year on the Gregorian date, which follows the solar calendar.
Islam is the third-fastest-growing religion in New Zealand and growth in Auckland is twice as fast as anywhere else in the country.
Making up 0.001 per cent of New Zealand’s population in 1986, Muslims rose to 1.8 per cent by 2006.
Today, the Federation of Islamic Associations estimates the number of Muslims here to be between 50,000 and 60,000, with 11 mosques and more than 20 Islamic centres.
The diversity of the local Muslim population – from Africans, Indians and Southeast Asians to Middle Easterners – made it impossible to describe a typical fast-breaking meal, said association president Anwar Ghani.
“We share a common faith and Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, but Muslims in New Zealand, most of whom are immigrants, are a truly diverse lot,” Dr Ghani said.
“Even what we call the festival is different. For example, Malaysian Muslims would often refer to Eid as Hari Raya.”
Source