Eid start date: When will Eid start? What's the difference of Eid al-Fitr and Eid ul-Fitr?

Eid al-Fitr means “festival of breaking the fast” and marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. It is a joyous celebration marked by millions of Muslims across the globe. It begins with

the tenth month in the Islamic lunar calendar, Shawwal.

Eid is expected to fall on June 4 or 5, with some countries beginning to declare.

Like Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr begins with the first sighting of the new moon, so most of the time Muslims have to wait until the night before Eid to verify its date.

READ MORE: Where can you celebrate Eid al-Fitr in London?

The date changes annually on the Gregorian calendar and varies from country to country depending on geographical location.

To declare the start of Eid, Muslim-majority countries depend on the testimonies of local moon sighters. The Judicial High Court then decides if Eid has arrived.

When the sighting has been verified, Eid is declared on televisions, radio stations and at mosques.

‘Al’ and ‘ul’ both mean ‘the’ in Arabic, and both are used interchangeably for Eid.

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Eid ushers in a joyous celebration, which runs over three days and is an official holiday in Muslim-majority countries.

While the UK doesn’t observe Eid as a national holiday, people tend to celebrate by taking a day off work or school.

READ MORE: Eid-al-Fitr 2019: How is Eid celebrated? Eid decorations and greetings

The rest of the day is dedicated to spending time with friends and family.

To wish someone a happy Eid you can say ‘Eid Mubarak’, which is Arabic for ‘blessed Eid’.

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