Saudi Arabia will look for Shawwal moon on April 20 evening to celebrate Eid Ul Fitr 2023, marking the end of Ramadan.
The country’s supreme court has called upon all Muslims across the Gulf country to look for the moon for the month of Shawwal, the tenth month in the Islamic year on the evening of Thursday.
The Supreme Court also urged people who sight the moon with the naked eye or through binoculars to inform the nearest court to register their testimony, according to Al Arabiya.
Eid Ul Fitr is the Islamic holiday that marks the end of Ramadan and with it a month of fasting.
Ramadan lasts 29 or 30 days depending on the moon sightings. If the moon is sighted on Thursday, Saudi Arabia will announce Friday, April 21 as Eid Ul Fitr.
Astronomy calculations suggest that the Gulf country in addition to several others such as the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain are expected to celebrate the feast on Friday.
Other countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Morocco, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Maldives, are expected to celebrate Eid Ul Fitr on Saturday, April 22.
The majority of countries began the first day of Ramadan on March 23 this year.
Eid Ul Fitr celebrations begin with morning prayers, with Muslims – elderly and young – wearing traditional or Islamic attires.
