Arabeyes: Eid Al Fitr Celebrations (Part 1) · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

The Holy month of Ramadan culminated with Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations throughout the Muslim world. Here's what bloggers are saying about the occasion in the first of a three-part series. Today's tour takes us to Lebanon, Libya, Israel, Morocco and Iraq.
Lebanon:
With the Presidential elections coming up around the corner, the mood on the Lebanese blogosphere is sombre. But Dodi  comes back to life, after a year's break, with this post which describes some scenes from Ramadan:
“Among other things, Ramadan includes fasting from dawn (around 5:00 AM at this part of the world) till sunset (around 6:30 PM). Along with the assumed spiritual experience, I think this would help us remember the poor people who cannot afford a decent meal; unfortunately, in the age of consumerism and entertainment, Ramadan is given a brand new meaning.
How would a day in Ramadan pass for the common person here?
If possible, people will try to sleep till noon during Ramadan to help avoid the hunger while being awake. So, I shall directly jump to the afternoon period.
Throughout the afternoon, all TV stations abuse the expected hunger of the viewers to dedicate a couple of hours daily for cooking programs and to teach people to cook new fatty dishes,” he explains.
For more on Ramadan in Lebanon, Dodi's post is a must read.
Libya:
From Libya, Khadeja Teri wishes her readers a happy Eid.
“We're ready for it. The clothes and shoes have been bought and are waiting to be worn. All that's left is a stop at the pharmacy to pick up Tylenol Extra Strength to help me cope with the headache I am sure to get from all the noise the kids will make. Maybe I should see about getting something stronger…” she notes.
Israel:
From Jerusalem, Desert Peace,  laments the conditions of Palestinians, who cannot celebrate Eid because of the continued Israeli occupation.
“The Glorious Holy Month of Ramadan is coming to an end… ushering in the wonderful feast days of Eid-el-Fitr. A time for joyous celebrations with families, a time to feel completely renewed and refreshed.
That's how it's spelled out in the books…
Unfortunately in Palestine the book is written differently… families are divided, family members are denied entry to join in the celebrations, families are mourning their loved ones killed by Israeli forces,” he writes.
Morocco:
Moroccan blogger Laila Lalami brings us another aspect of the celebration, this time from the Big Apple. She writes:
Eid Mubarak to all my Muslim readers! This year, the Empire State Building will be lit up in green in honor of the holiday, and the illumination will continue through the end of the weekend.
Maytha, from Kabobfest also refers to the Empire State Building in her Eid greetings post and writes:
Okay, perhaps a more genuine proclamation of Muslim support-New York will be lighting the Empire State building green in honor of the Islamic holiday that celebrates the end of Ramadan (literally translated, Eid al-Fitr means, celebration of the break!). Incidentally, the green illumination coincides with the upcoming release of “The Incredible Hulk.” Coincidence? I think not! Sublimial corporate tie-in masquerading as a altruistic act of religious toleration? I think yes…
Iraq:
Our last stop in this round up is in Iraq, where Mixmax discusses the dilemma of having Eid fall on different days, depending on the sighting of the new moon by different Islamic sects:
As its always the case on every year, not all Muslim countries announced today as the first day of the Eid. Some countries are celebrating that today, though, such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Libya, and Muslims in non-Arab countries such as those in China, Afghanistan and Philippine followed along. While Egypt, Syria and Oman announced that Saturday is the first day of the Eid! It has been the case for years, and every year I see on TV the endless discussions about how to put an end to such a dilemma. However, there is none and it seems that even if one muslim climb the roof of his house in the middle of the night and see the sign in the sky (a crescent), he will not be able to celebrate the joyful days because the country did not announce through its official religious channels!