How to Celebrate Eid al-Fitr at Work

Part of celebrating diversity in the workplace includes learning more about and celebrating other cultural and religious holidays. A great example of this is the Islamic holiday Eid al-Fitr. For many countries, this is a national holiday, a celebration of the “breaking of the fast,” or the end of Ramadan.

Learn more about Eid al-Fitr and how you can tastefully celebrate it at work below.

What is Eid al-Fitr?

Eid al-Fitr is a three-day-long festival celebrating the end of Ramadan. It means “the feast of breaking the fast” and celebrates Ramadan, a month of fasting for Muslims.

The way it’s celebrated can vary country to country, but in general, Eid al-Fitr is celebrated with special morning prayers, rich feasts of food, and gifts to those in need. Many also decorate their homes.

Eid al-Fitr is a joyous celebration meant to help people focus on the good around them, spread feelings of goodwill and unity, and spend time with loved ones.

How do you celebrate Eid al-Fitr at work?

The first thing to keep in mind is that Eid al-Fitr is a religious holiday, so commercialized or gamified celebrations may not be appropriate. Instead, focus on food, decorations, and educating other employees so that understanding can grow.

Here are a few ways to celebrate Eid al-Fitr at work.

Provide Authentic Food

Eid al-Fitr is all about breaking the fast, which means a large focus of the holiday is on food. Explain that information to your employees while you provide a buffet of traditional Muslim dishes, such as samosas, kebabs, pakora, chicken tikka, or biryani. Talk to any Muslim employees you have to learn about the foods they traditionally enjoy, and then hire catering or a restaurant to provide fitting dishes.

Decorate the Office

Decorating the home is a traditional part of Eid al-Fitr, so bringing those decorations into the office is a great way to spread understanding of the holiday. Some great ways to decorate include:

• Hanging lights or placing candles around the office
• Building and hanging traditional Ramadan lanterns called Fanous.
• Put flowers around the space
• Hang “Eid Mubarak” banners on the walls (it means “Blessed festival”)

Do your research to ensure that the decorations are tasteful and accurate.

Give Charitable Donations

Eid al-Fitr includes charitable giving, called Zakat al-Fitr, so that everyone can participate in the festivities. One great way to celebrate this holiday at work is to make charitable donations and allow employees to do so as well. Perhaps consider organizations such as Islamic Relief USA or World Food Program to start.

Give Gifts to Employees

Traditionally, Muslims wear their best attire for Eid al-Fitr. So another way to celebrate it at work is to give new clothing to employees. Whether you want to give branded swag or regular clothes, make sure it’s high quality and looks nice to fit in with the theme of the holiday.

Celebrate Eid al-Fitr the Right Way

Employees with different beliefs, cultures, and traditions deserve to feel seen and valued, and a great way to do that is to recognize the holidays important to them. If you live in an area where Eid al-Fitr isn’t regularly celebrated, hopefully this post gives you some ideas to celebrate in appropriate ways to make your Muslim employees feel right at home.