Eid ul-Fitr

Eid ul-Fitr or Id-Ul-Fitr (Arabic: ?du l-Fi?r), often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity", while Fi?r means "to break the fast" (and can also mean "nature", from the word "fitrah") and so symbolizes the breaking of the fasting period.
Eid-ul-fitr lasts 24 hours. Money is given to the poor, and Muslims wear their best clothes. Most Muslims stay up to watch the new moon.
Eid ul-Fitr lasts three days and called "The Lesser Eid" (Arabic: Al-eid Al-sagheer) compared with the Eid ul-Adha that lasts 4 days and called "The Greater Eid" (Arabic: Al-eid Al-kabeer).
On the day of the celebration, a typical Muslim family awakes very early, does the first everyday prayer, and is required to eat a little, symbolizing the end of Ramadan. They then attend special congregational prayers held in mosques, large open areas, stadiums and arenas. The prayer is generally short and is followed by a sermon (khu?ba). Worshippers greet and embrace each other in a spirit of peace and love after the congregational prayer. After the special prayers, festivities and merriment are commonly observed with visits to the homes of relatives and friends to thank God for all blessings.
Eid ul-Fitr is a joyous occasion with important religious significance, celebrating the achievement of enhanced piety. It is a day of forgiveness, moral victory, peace of congregation, fellowship, brotherhood and unity. Muslims celebrate not only the end of all that fasting but also thank God for the help and strength that they believe he gave them through the previous month to help everyone practice self-control. It is a time of giving and sharing, and many Muslims dress in holiday attire.

Timing:
Because the day depends on the sighting of the moon, the sighting can only be possible just after sunset. Many Muslims check with local mosques or other members of the community to see if the moon has been sighted by authoritative parties such as knowledgeable scholars. Although many Muslims believe the Quran says that the sighting of the moon determines the start of Eid, this is written in other books. Due to the sensitive nature of this opinion, please see below for further research on this dispute.

Traditions and practices in Pakistan and Bangladesh :
At the end of the Holy month of Ramadan, in which the Muslims are asked to observe fasting from dawn to dusk and do extra prayers and observe religious values rigidly, the Muslims celebrate the sighting of the new moon (start of the new Muslim month). In Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, the night before Eid is called Chand Raat, or night of the moon. People visit bazaars and shopping malls, with their families and children, for last minute Eid shopping. Women, especially young girls, often paint each others' hands with traditional "henna" and wear colourful bangles.
The popular way of greeting in Bangladesh & Pakistan during celebration of this festival is to say Eid Mubarak to others. Children are encouraged to greet the elders. In exchange of this they also expect to obtain some cash money, called Eidi, from the elders.
On the morning of Eid ul-Fitr, after taking a fresh bath, every Muslim is encouraged to wear new clothes, if they can afford so. Alternatively, they may wear clean washed clothes.Men and boys go to mosque or open fields called Eidgah for special Eid prayers, thanking God for enabling a Muslim to observe the holy month meaningfully. The Muslims are ordained to pay Zakat al-Fitr (special charity money) or fitra to the poor and needy before the Eid prayer, so that they can also join others to celebrate the Eid.
After the prayers, the congregation is dispersed and the Muslims meet and greet each other including family members, children, elders, friends and neighbours.
Some Muslims especially go to graveyards to pray for the salvation of the departed soul. Usually, children visit elder relatives and neighbours to pay respects and greetings.
One of the special dishes in Pakistan and Fiji is sivayyan, a dish of fine, toasted vermicelli noodles [4]. In Bangladesh, sivayyan is called shemai, and is an integral item of Eid dishes.
After meeting the friends and relatives, many people go for attending parties, feasts, special carnivals and festivities in the parks (with picnics, fireworks, etc.). In Bangladesh and Pakistan, many bazaars, malls, and restaurants witness huge crowd & high attendance during this principal muslim festival.
Some people also avail this opportunity to distribute Zakat, the Islamic obligatory alms tax on one's wealth, to the needy.
In this way, the Muslims of South Asia celebrate their Eid ul-Fitr in a festive mood by thanking the Almighty and bringing their families, friends and the poor and needy people closer in a praiseworthy,[citation needed] egalitarian manner.