Muslims celebrate feast ending daily Ramadan fasts

A look at how Muslims around the world began celebrating Eid al-Fitr, a three-day feast that marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

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EGYPT — Families thronged the streets and the banks of the Nile to celebrate, showing off children in new holiday outfits. On overloaded Nile cruise boats decorated with brightly colored lights, men and women danced to traditional Egyptian music blaring. Children set off fireworks in the streets.

The traffic that normally snarls the busy streets of Cairo eased as many used mass transit to visit amusement parks and Cairo's few gardens. Vendors and beggars wished passers-by a happy Eid with a smile, hoping for a tip.

Supermarkets and sweet shops had special sales on hundreds of boxes of traditional Eid cookies. Another popular Eid treat is smoky or salted fish as most Egyptians refrain from eating those dishes during the fasting month of Ramadan.

In downtown Cairo there was a beefed up police presence to keep the boisterous crowds under control after incidents of mass harassment against women two years earlier.

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SAUDI ARABIA — Saudis decorated their homes and prepared sumptuous meals for friends and family. Big chunks of lamb mixed with rice and vegetables is traditional. The whole country reveled in celebration with men and women greeting and kissing each other in big cities.

All male folk dances with swords were performed in public.

In the capital Riyadh, the local government planned celebrations that began with prayers followed by seven separate fireworks displays, concerts, theater, poetry readings, a parade and women's programs. Car races, a remote control air show, a sky diving performance, a bicycle race and traditional music were also planned.

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PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES — In Gaza City, the old market was packed with street merchants hawking their wares and families shopping for new clothes, sweets and salted fish. But the holiday atmosphere was strained in Gaza, which has been under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade for two years and is still reeling from January's war.

"People are psychologically worn out since the war," said Midhad Ihmeid, 45. "Does someone who lost a family member or had his house wrecked want to go and buy new shoes?"

Salam Haddad, a 34-year-old vendor, said Gaza's economic decline was affecting holiday preparations, and only the network of smuggling tunnels under the Gaza-Egypt border was keeping commerce alive.

"There's no work here now, so people don't have much money for the holiday," he said.

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PAKISTAN — Thousands of people in the capital of Islamabad flocked to the main bazaars to eat, shop and celebrate.

Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari reminded people in a statement to remember those during Eid who sacrificed themselves for peace.

"Amidst Eid celebrations this year, let us not forget those members of our armed forces, the police, the law enforcing agencies and civilians who laid down their lives in the fight against militants so that we may truly celebrate this Eid in peace," Zardari said, referring to Pakistan's gains in recent months against a homegrown Taliban insurgency.

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AFGHANISTAN — In the capital Kabul, children dressed in their finest clothes for the celebration, as families posed for formal photos against the backdrop of the mountains that surround the Afghan capital.

Despite a recent increase in violence in Kabul, the city was crowded and festive — its markets were full and many of the streets were jammed with cars filled with people on their way to and from holiday meals.

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SUDAN — The start of the feast is marked by massive outdoor worship services at local mosques. Many then spend the afternoon and evening visiting family, friends and neighbors. Those with recent deaths in the family get special attention in hopes the celebrations will distract them from mourning. In cities, families also head to public gardens for picnics while kids run around with newly purchased toy guns and shoot at each other.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir called for the country's numerous armed movements to lay down their arms and engage in dialogue rather than violence to solve their differences.

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YEMEN — Eid came at a time of great suffering here from the economic crisis, war in the north and instability in the south.

In northern Saada province along the Saudi border, thousands of civilians have fled fighting between Shiite rebels and the government and most children did not receive traditional gifts of money or new clothes. The province's biggest and oldest mosque was empty this year instead of being filled during the dawn prayers as in the past.

Many in big cities stayed home instead of going out to restaurants as they did in past years, though chewers of the stimulant qat leaf still gathered in many neighborhoods to swap stories of the past. Link...