Like Any other festival, Eid has its specific customs to be followed. Eid ul-Fitr marks the end of the fasting of Ramadan. This has to do with the communal aspects of the fast, which expresses many of the basic values of the Muslim community. Fasting is believed by some scholars to admire the fundamental distinctions.
Eid-ul-Fitr Traditions
On the morning of Eid-ul-fitr, Muslims all over the world take bath and have their breakfast, typically comprising of dates and sweets. They wear new clothes on this occasion and visit the mosque (masjid) to worship Allah. Special Eid ul Fitr prayer ceremony is carried out in open areas, under the sky. All the Muslims recite Takbir, a poem in the praise of the greatness of Allah. It starts at the time of the sighting of crescent moon and lasts till the prayers are said. Muslims are supposed to pay Zakat al Fitr i.e. a donation for the month of Ramzan.
This donation is given at a nearby mosque, to begin the Eid prayer. Zakat al Fitr can be given in way of money or eatables like dates, wheat, barley, raisins etc. After the prayer, the Imam, or the spiritual head delivers a discourse on social and family duties, also known as Khutba (sermons). After which people embrace and greet each other with 'Eid Mubarak' or 'Happy Eid' and head back home for the feast! It is customary to embrace the person sitting on your either side, after the prayers are over. Near and dear ones are also embraced.
On Eid, women pray at home and then get busy organizing a lavish spread of eatables, like sivai - the special sweet for Eid (vermicelli cooked in milk and sugar), dry fruits, sweetmeats, biryani (meat cooked in spicy rice). The men return home to their beautiful wives and the family sits down for the grand meal. People embrace each other and exchange greetings of 'Eid Mubarak'. Non-Muslims make it a point to visit their Muslim friends to join in their happiness and especially to consume some of the scrumptious food made for Eid ul Fitr. Gifts are also exchanged on the festive occasion of Eid-ul-fitr. Children also receive money from elders, known as eiddi. Every country has its own way of celebrating Eid, but most of the customs and traditions remain similar around the world.