This year’s fasting period is over. Today’s New Moon signifies the end of Ramadan in Mallorca and will be celebrated as Eid al-Fitr, the biggest Islamic Celebration Day in the Muslim calendar.

This year, the newly installed Mezquita Sunna (mosque) in Felanitx is big enough to accommodate the Islamic community who earlier this morning came to pray the nine-o’clock prayers of the first day of Shawwal, the month that comes after Ramadan. Surprisingly (?), there were no Muslimas.

I am told that on this day, a Muslim believer is not allowed to fast. He would eat three dates before he leaves his house. On this day, it is not allowed to pray at home but, only to pray at the mosque. He is also obliged to walk to the place of worship, and to return home by a different route than that of going out. I also understand, that in Morocco, for instance, Eid-al-Fitr is the first day of a whole week of celebrations with most offices and shops being shut all week. Here, in Mallorca, this is not the case. But, certainly, today will be a day of joyful and cheerful celebration, of visiting friends and family, and of having a large and festive meal later in the day.

Mubarak.

The photo was taken in Felanitx, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: September 10th, 2010. The time was 09:06:04.