Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr holiday in Ottawa

Hussin Ghali (left) is celebrating Eid al-Fitr for the first time in Canada with family, including grandson, Bara Tanora (right). Ottawa, Ont. Apr. 21, 2023. (Tyler Fleming/CTV News Ottawa).

Muslims in Ottawa and around the world are celebrating Eid al-Fitr, the celebration of the breaking of the fast. It's a special time with the community, family and friends to mark the end of the Holy month of Ramadan and 30 days of spiritual reflection.

Thousands joined in prayer at the EY Centre in Ottawa on Friday morning to usher in the religious holiday after a month of fasting from sunrise to sunset. 

"We gather together to pray a special prayer, we supplicate to God, we congratulate each other for finishing the month of Ramadan and wish each other good wishes for the future," Imam Ahmed Khalil said on Friday. "It is a day of joy. We want the kids to feel the spirit of Ramadan; we want to enjoy the end of it. We have special sweets, we have special decorations, sometimes even special songs and the idea is to feel the festivities of the day."

For Roula Ghali, this day is especially important this year. Her parents are attending their first Eid al-Fitr in Canada.

"My dad and mom came here three months ago; it’s a very special Eid," she says. "For 10 years, I haven’t seen them because they were in Syria and in a very difficult situation it’s very special."

Ghali’s father exited the Morning Prayer with a Canada flag in hand, proudly waving it in the air.

"I’m very happy to be here,” says Hussin Ghali, translated grandson Bara Tanora. “New people, new events and everything is new because it’s a new country. This is a very special time and I hope to live a very good life here."

Tanora is excited to be spending this time with his grandparents.

"The last time I spend Eid with them and I was little so I don’t remember. We’re really happy they are here with us this year," he says. "It’s a big special celebration for us; we are going to be spending sometime together - no work, no school, just us and our grandparents."

Celebrations will continue throughout the weekend, including a festival at Lansdowne Park. The Aberdeen Pavilion will be home to a bazaar, and there will be food, games and prizes. 

Parking is free at Carleton University, which includes a shuttle bus as well.

"There are a lot of different ethnicities in the Muslim community, from Asia, Europe, Africa, Middle East and North America and they all bring part of their ethnicity in here as well, so you get to experience different ethnicity in here," says Tarek Houssari, with the Muslim Association of Canada. "One of the key things I love about this day is people come dressed in their own traditional clothes and everybody comes with their own cultures, so it’s very multidimensional, very diverse day and it brings all the community together."