![](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.natgeofe.com/n/02168fdc-6958-4cf3-8f2c-7f414806b684/GettyImages-1240435414.jpg)
See how Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr around the world
From beachside prayers in Senegal to colorful festivals in Pakistan, these pictures show the many ways that Muslims observe the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
When the sun sets on April 9, Muslims around the world will look skyward for a crescent of pale white light—the conclusion to the Islamic holy month of Ramadan emblazoned in the night sky.
Beginning and ending with the new moon, Ramadan falls on the ninth month of the Arabic lunar calendar. It is believed by Muslims to be when the first verses of the Koran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad more than a millennium ago. From sunrise to sunset, Muslims abstain from food, drink, and vices like gossip and lying. Not only is it meant to be a period of self-reflection, but to serve as a reminder to be charitable to the less fortunate.
Eid al-Fitr, Arabic for “festival of breaking fast," is celebrated over three days at the end of Ramadan through prayer, feasts, parades, gifts, and charitable giving. Here's a look at how it is celebrated around the world.
![people sitting before performing the Eid al-Fitr prayer in Dakar, Senegal](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.natgeofe.com/n/be4c5172-7ecf-4ca9-9686-f5e6815ec189/eid-al-fitr-senegal.jpg)
![muslims lighting incense after Eid al-Fitr prayer in Beijing, China](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.natgeofe.com/n/773e1d21-5316-40a1-9a84-d75332e8e67c/eid-al-fitr-beijing-china.jpg)
![Women in blue, green and black full length dresses and head scarves descend stone stairs.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.natgeofe.com/n/3940e9ee-f27a-4697-bcf2-31a04bf4da52/GettyImages-1240388885.jpg)
![a crowded beach flood plane with two camels and multiple women riding on top f them on seats draped with colorful cloths.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.natgeofe.com/n/af80df1d-53c4-43c6-9c7e-cee4cb65b144/GettyImages-1240480460.jpg)
![Photo of two women on wooden bridge in lush garden](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.natgeofe.com/n/cd202ac9-666c-43fb-9a2f-b0a4e7b9fdfd/h_8.03078688.jpg)
![Lebanese whirling dervishes performing in Beirut, Lebanon](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.natgeofe.com/n/3cd42dab-380f-4571-8071-fba4bd108aa0/eid-al-fitr-whirling-dervish-lebanon.jpg)
![Photo of girl wearing sunglasses playing in bouncy house](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.natgeofe.com/n/247224cf-16e9-49d4-8580-3fb37dd2c8ca/NationalGeographic_2689056.jpg)
![an Afghan circus performer at a fair during Eid al-Fitr in Jalalabad, Afghanistan](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.natgeofe.com/n/1e7e37ba-719b-47b4-b9e8-1e2e6429a114/eid-al-fitr-celebration-afghanistan.jpg)
![muslims gathered to offer prayers for Eid al-Fitr in Moscow Russia](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.natgeofe.com/n/1338c07c-fb2e-434c-8197-83b48f81a8bb/eid-al-fitr-prayer-moscow-russia.jpg)
![a man spinning sparkling wire during Ramadan in Gaza City, Gaza](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.natgeofe.com/n/3b8bb6b0-5f04-4046-a5ea-f67007a31c8a/eid-al-fitr-gaza.jpg)
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