Since mid-February, Muslims across Brussels have observed Ramadan. They are now expecting the culmination of the holy month, a day in which they break their fast around tables laden with staple dishes and surrounded by family.
Fasting during Ramadan is an important pillar of Islam; it is also believed to be the month in which the holy book, the Qur'an, descended on the Prophet Muhammad.
Muslims observe Ramadan through a series of pious activities. Besides fasting, giving to charity and catching up with relatives are the other two that are highly recommended by the holy book and Hadith (the Prophet's sayings and doings).
Many muslims also read taraweeh (a recommended prayer) every night throughout the month, whether at home or at the mosque in congregation.
Although the whole month is considered to be a spiritual opportunity for Muslims to increase faith, the last 10 days leading up to Eid al-Fitr hold the most spiritual rewards.
For this reason, many Muslims spend the last 10 nights utterly devoted to worship. Some finish reading the Qur’an on Laylat al-Qadr, also known as the Night of Power.
The night is by far the most sacred in the Islamic calendar. Theologically debatable, it is commonly believed to fall on the 27th of Ramadan.
Unlike the Gregorian calendar used in Belgium, the Islamic calendar is about 10 to 11 days shorter. Based on lunar months, the exact end of the holy month depends on the sighting of the next crescent moon.
Eid al-Fitr comes on the first day of Shawwal, the month following Ramadan. It marks the end of the fast.
Moroccan style
With the end of Ramadan just around the corner, The Brussels Times went out to speak to some Brussels residents.
For French-Moroccan supermarket owner Mourad in Anderlecht, Eid al-Fitr feels more "animated" in Brussels than in Paris. He describes a sense of a stronger community, especially during the last days leading up to the festival.
"Eid al-Fitr is a moment of conviviality and sharing," he tells The Brussels Times. "In Brussels, Eid al-Fitr is celebrated in a very visible Moroccan way", he adds.
Mourad manages H Market in Anderlecht. During the last days of the holy month. Shopping sprees are frequent. Credit: The Brussels Times/ Anas El Baye.
Women with smiles and henna-patterned palms early in the morning are one of the first comforting memories that Mourad has of Eid al-Fitr in Brussels.
Upon waking, wishing his family Eid Mubarek (blessed feast), the day follows a routine. "We start the day with the Eid prayer, then we come back home, drink coffee, and then we go on a spree of family visits. In the afternoon, we go to the grandparents'," he smiles.
Firdaws, a 26-year-old Moroccan sales worker, goes through the same routine, although her grandparents are separated. She and the rest of the family manage to visit each one, rightfully so.
"It is always us who go to our elders' house, that's the rule", she tells The Brussels Times.
A staple served on every table early in the morning during Eid al-Fitr is sweet couscous and tea, served piping hot. The culinary rites of Eid al-Fitr are also a shared memory of Mourad and Firdaws.
Credit: Belga/ Siska Gremmelperez
Ahmed works for his family-run butch shop. During the last days of Ramadan, families preparing for celebratory meals demand specific "spikes of lamb and beef."
Orders are often placed in advance with customers seeking specific cuts or larger quantities to host extended family members.
Credit: The Brussels Times / Anas El Baye
He tells the Brussels Times that to him, the festival is about gratitude. "Gratitude about the food we eat, the faces we see, the love we get," he says.
An important part of the festival is the children. Collecting memories is essential; freshly clad, they move from house to house, collecting sweets, small envelopes of money.
"It's their day as much as it is ours," says Firdaws. "Seeing them happy makes the whole celebration feel complete."
"It is also a moment of pause in a fast-paced city," Mourad says, "Eid is not just a celebration, it's a moment of re-centring on what matters in life."
