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Orozo Ait is also known as the feast of “Eid al Fitr”. It is a celebration to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan. (Ramadan is the month in which Muslims believe the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the prophet Muhammed – and is marked by Muslims all over the world by fasting during the hours of daylight.)
The date of the festival changes each year because the Islamic calendar is a based on lunar cycles ... and the date depends on the sighting of the new moon at Mecca. Also as the Muslim year is shorter than the Solar year, the date is different each year, some years there are two festivals in one (Gregorian) calendar year.
It one of the two major Islamic festivals - both of which are called Eid ... which has come to mean "celebration". Fitr means "to break" and the festival celebrates the breaking of the fasting period and of all evil habits and Muslims also thank God for the help and strength that they believe he gave them throughout the previous month, to help them practice the necessary self-control to fulfil the rigorous requirements of Ramadan.
In the days leading up to the festival, every household that can afford it makes a contribution to poor people, so that they can also celebrate. This contribution used to be in the form of food, but nowadays most people contribute money - a small amount, based on the number of people in the household. It is not collected by anyone, such as the government or mosque, and no one is forced to pay it, but it is required as a religious act, and almost everyone contributes.
Although, technically, there are three days of Eid - celebrations on this occasion, usually, occupy just one day.
On the morning of Eid, people often rise very early to go to prayers. There are special prayers, reserved for use only at Eid. Throught the Muslim world such services are held only in very big mosques, or in large open areas, such as football stadiums and in recent years there have been large gatherings in the Ala Too (Central) Square in Bishkek for prayers. . They are held about 80 minutes after sunrise, so when the holiday falls in the summer months it can be very early.
Eid al Fitr is seen as a time to come together as a community and to renew friendship and family ties. So after attending prayers, everyone goes home to eat breakfast and then it is common to go visiting - neighbors and friends. The visits tend to be short, as there are plenty to make.
Kyrgyzstan Public Holidays
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