The Islamic festival of Eid al-Fitr, a celebration to mark the end of Ramadan, began on Wednesday.
Observed by millions of Muslims around the world, Ramadan is a month of prayer, dusk-to-dawn fasting, and nightly feasts.
“It’s about peace, hope, and giving more than you receive,” Kitchener resident Omar El-Aina said.
Five thousand people gathered for morning prayer at The Aud in Kitchener Wednesday morning.
“It’s nice to see so many different people from the community of Kitchener-Waterloo come and celebrate this special event,” Ghada Al-Shurafa from the Muslim Association of Canada said.
Ramadan occurs at different times every year as it falls on the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
Some found this year’s festival more difficult than others, as longer days mean more time is spent fasting.
“It was quite challenging to fast for the full 17 hours.” Al-Shurafa said.
The festival will last until Friday.
With reporting by Allison Tanner
