Ramadan and celebrating Eid al-Fitr

The Islamic holy month of Ramadan is a very important time in the Islamic calendar, and Muslims all over the world take part. In the UK in 2026, Ramadan is expected to begin on Monday 17th February and will end on Thursday 19th March.

The exact dates of Ramadan change every year. This is because Islam uses a calendar based on the cycles of the Moon. There is a special festival to mark the end of Ramadan called Eid al-Fitr - the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast. This year Eid ul-Fitr is expected to take place on Thursday 19th March or Friday 20th March 2026 in the UK, depending on the Moon. Find out how Amirah and her family celebrate Eid al-Fitr.

To prepare for Eid al-Fitr Amirah helps decorate the house with her family then makes special roast chicken and onion pakoras for the celebration feast with her mum. Amirah finishes the day by getting her hands painted with pretty patterns called Mehndi in preparation for Eid al-Fitr celebrations. 

Amirah is very excited to celebrate Eid with her family. She gets ready in her new clothes to start the celebrations. The family go to the mosque to pray and then to a party to share their food with friends and family, Amirah has so much fun. 

When the new moon is seen in the sky, it means the Eid celebrations can begin the next day. The crescent moon symbol can be seen at the top of a mosque. Watch the children make a wonderful picture using seeds and lentils of a mosque where Muslims pray, can you see the moon shape on the top of the mosque? 

See how much your little one knows about Ramadan is this fun quiz and then see if you know all the facts in our quiz about Eid al-Fitr?

Rebecca and Evie talk to their friends, Mahnoor and Hussain, about their Eid al-Fitr celebrations in this clip from CBeebies House.

Find out more about Ramadan and take a look at How Eid al-Fitr is celebrated around the world with on Bitesize.

CBeebies Parenting is full of expert led articles for parents. Find out the potential challenges and positives around Ramadan as a new parent and discover eight activities and gift ideas for kids and toddlers for Eid al-Fitr

If you would like to learn more about Ramadan head over to Newsround and find out seven things you need to know about Ramadan. 

My First Festivals is a documentary following children as they discover, learn and experience cultural festivals for the first time. You can watch My First Festivals on BBC iPlayer.

Take a look at our quizzes and clips about cultural festivals as youngsters discover and celebrate with their families and communities.

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