Muslims Celebrate End of Ramadan

December 28, 2000

Source: Los Angeles Times

On December 28, 2000, the Los Angeles Times reported the gathering of hundreds of Muslims at the Odyssey restaurant to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, "which marks an end to the month of reflection and fasting commemorating the prophet Mohammed's revelations in the Koran, Islam's holy book." Throughout this month, called Ramadan, "food, drink and sexual relations" are prohibited. Edris Khestoo, a UCLA student, sees it as a way to "remember what the starving and poor are going through." Eid al-Fitr is marked by feasting and, for children, the reception of gifts. One celebrant says the holiday "gives you the feeling that for one month of struggle, you have accomplished what God told you to do." The holiday "is traditionally a three-day observance," but many Muslims in the U.S cut it to one day because of Western business schedules.