Saudi Arabia

Children's Literature - Leila Toledo

There are two major festivals celebrated in Saudi Arabia, Eid el-Fitr and Eid el-Adha. Their holidays follow the Islamic lunar calendar and therefore change each year on the Gregorian calendar. Ramadam is the holiest month of the Islamic calendar. It celebrates the founding of Islam by the Prophet Muhammad. Muslims fast for 320 days by not eating or drinking between sunrise and sunset and spending evenings praying, eating and visiting family and friends As a result, Muslims change their daily routine to fulfill their spiritual quest. You can imagine how this causes conflict for Muslims living in non-Muslim countries. Eid el-Fitr is a festival that follows Ramadam. Prayers are offered to give thanks to God. Children dress up in new clothes, gifts are exchanged, and feasts are prepared and eaten. Two months after Eid el-Fitr, Hajj begins a pilgrimage to Mecca, their holy city for prayer and worship. Every Muslim is to try to go to Mecca at least once during their life. Two project activities with simple detailed instruction are included along with a recipe of a fruit dish call Khoshof. You can experience the joy and excitement of their festivals along with the historical reminder of the founding of Islam This is part of the "Festivals of the World" series.