Eid Mubarak: Calgarians celebrate the end of Ramadan
Calgarians in every quadrant of the city gathered Wednesday to celebrate Eid-al-Fitr and the end of Ramadan fasting.
Mosques, community centres and banquet halls were packed as Muslims marked one of their two major religious holidays.
It’s a day to celebrate the end of a month-long dawn-to-sunset fast and to pray for prosperity in the year ahead.
The first day of Eid begins with a large morning prayer before the celebrations head into the streets and Muslim homes.
“Islam is a religion that spans through races, ethnicities and cultures,” Green Dome Mosque attendee Zubair Tariq said.
“So it’s a great opportunity for all of us because we believe that we spread love through praying together and having a feast together. And that’s the whole purpose of the month of Ramadan, as well Eid.”
Syed Soharwardy, the head of the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada, echoed that sentiment. He pointed to the city’s growing Muslim population.
“It’s a day of reaching out to the needy and the poor as well,” Soharwardy told CTV News. “So there is a mandatory charity that every one of us has to give before the prayer in the morning.”
There’s also another mandatory element to Eid this year: a prayer for Gaza.
Thousands kneeled and spared a word for those in the region that has been hit extremely hard by an Israeli military offensive.
“We’re thinking of them,” Soharwardy said.
Because the holiday falls on a Wednesday this year, Calgarians will continue the celebrations into the weekend.
Multiple events are planned for Saturday, including a community gathering at the MAC Islamic School in the northeast from 4 to 11 p.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.