How do Muslims across the world celebrate Eid al-Fitr?

Doha, Qatar: Muslims around the world will soon bid farewell to the Islamic holy month of Ramadan and start celebrating the holiday of Eid al-Fitr. Eid is marked with congregational prayers and festivities that typically include family visits, gatherings and new clothes.

In Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, many people embark on an exodus to their hometowns to celebrate the holiday with loved ones. This year, an estimated 193.6 million travelers are expected to crisscross the vast archipelago for Eid in a homecoming tradition known locally as "mudik.”

Women shop jewelry at a market in Karachi on April 5, 2024, ahead of Eid al-Fitr celebrations which marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. (Photo by Asif HASSAN / AFP)

In the past two years of Eid celebrations, Indonesians crammed into trains, ferries, buses and onto motorcycles as they poured out of major cities amid severe traffic congestion to return to their villages to celebrate the holiday with families. Flights were overbooked and anxious relatives, weighed down with boxes of gifts, formed long lines at bus and train stations for the journeys.

Cars wait to board a ferry as people return to their hometowns ahead of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, at the Merak port in Cilegon, West Java, early on April 6, 2024. (Photo by DZIKI OKTOMAULIYADI / AFP)

Before the holiday, popular markets teem with shoppers buying clothes, shoes, cookies and sweets.

In Malaysia, Muslims also have a homecoming tradition for Eid. The first day usually begins with a morning prayer in the mosque, seeking forgiveness from family and friends, and visiting loved ones’ graves.

There’s an "open house” spirit that sees friends and families trading visits to celebrate Eid and enjoy traditional delicacies such as ketupat, rice cooked in a palm leaf pouch, and rendang, a meat dish stewed in spices and braised in coconut milk.

Older Muslims give money in green packets to children and guests who visit their homes.

People throng a market in Karachi on April 5, 2024, ahead of Eid al-Fitr celebrations which marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. (Photo by Asif HASSAN / AFP)
In Egypt, families partake in Eid prayers amid a festive atmosphere. Many visit relatives, friends or neighbors and some travel to vacation spots. Children, usually wearing new Eid outfits, receive traditional cash gifts known as "eidiya.”

Making or buying Eid cookies dusted with powdered sugar is another fixture of marking the holiday in the country.