PHILIPINNE president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (pictured right) has declared 1 October as a regular holiday nationwide to coincide with Eid’l Fitr, or the Feast of Ramadan.
According to a press release from the government, the aim is to “promote cultural understanding and give Filipinos the opportunity to join their Muslim brothers and sisters worldwide in the observance of the Eid’l Fitr”.
The country’s office of Muslim affairs (OMA) has determined 1 October 2008 as the main date for the celebration of the Eid’l Fitr in accordance with the lunar calendar or the Islamic calendar (Hijra).
The three-day festival, also known as Eid or Eid ul-Fitr, which literally means “the feast of the breaking/to break the fast”, ends the observance of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, marking the end of the 30-day fasting period.
It is the culmination of the month-long Muslim struggle towards spiritual purification which is achieved through fasting, self-sacrifice and prayers.
Last year, the Philippine president joined the celebration of the Iftar, the evening meal which breaks the daily fast from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan. Over 80 per cent of the population of the Philippines are Catholics, with its Muslim population at just over 5 per cent.
