Eid al-Fitr 2025: Meaning, Purpose, Significance, Celebration, and Facts

Meaning “festival of breaking the fast,” Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan and the beginning of the next month, Shawwal. It is the moment of the year when Muslim people all around the world celebrate the accomplishment of their religious duty: a month-long fast from dawn to dusk.

Since the Islamic Hijri calendar is a lunar calendar, the beginning of each month is determined by the moon phases. That’s why Eid al-Fitr doesn’t always fall on the same date in the Gregorian calendar used worldwide. According to a recent prediction by Qatar Calendar House, in 2025, a crescent moon should appear in the sky on the evening of March 29, around 2 PM GMT+3. So, March 30 will be the first day of Eid al-Fitr.

Islamic scholars explain the meaning of Eid al-Fitr the following way: it is a moment for observing Muslims to express their gratitude for having enough strength to fulfill the Ramadan fasting. For that reason, Eid al-Fitr is always preceded by big, community-wide prayers when Muslim people come together to show the unity of the congregation.

The sense of togetherness is another significant part of Eid al-Fitr, so it is important to provide even the poorest members of the community with an opportunity to join the feast. That’s why Zakat al-Fitr, a small but obligatory donation, is made before the Eid prayer.

Eid al-Fitr is also known as a “movable feast” and not without a reason. It means people wearing new clothing, greeting each other with blessings “Eid Mubarak” (“Blessed Eid”) and "Kul 'am wa enta bi-khair” ("May every year find you in good health"), exchanging gifts, and indulging themselves with a lot of festive food. 

Traditional Eid cuisine in Qatar includes: machboos (chicken with rice), thareed (bread soup), harees (a dish made of bulgur of wheat, not unlike porridge), and balaleet (sweet vermicelli), as well as various desserts.

You won’t miss it — it would be everywhere. But if you’re looking for particular places to go to see the celebration in all its glory, you can always rely on popular sites and historical spots like old market Souq Waqif, Katara Cultural Village, waterfront promenade of Doha Corniche, Aspire Zone sporting complex, and Quest, Doha indoor theme park. Biggest Qatar malls also host a lot of family-friendly entertainment: A Wonderland of Soapy Bubbles, Giant Neon Show, and The Marshmallow Show, to name a few.

This year it’s worth witnessing aerial shows, skydiving demonstrations, nightly lasers, and fireworks of the Lusail Sky Festival, which will take place at Lusail’s Al Sa’ad Plaza, April 3 to 5, 4-10 PM.

If you’re a fan of old-fashioned Disney charm, check out The Magic Box musical. It will run from April 3 to 12 at the Qatar National Convention Centre.

Please note that the first three days of Shawwal month are official public holidays in Qatar. Government offices, schools, and most businesses would be closed during this period.