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maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 6 JULY 2016 News PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS MANGION Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr as Ramadan comes to an end JEANELLE MIFSUD AS the clock struck 8:30pm yesterday, Mus- lims on the island gathered to break their final fast of this year's Ramadan, a holy 30- day period of fasting and spiritual medita- tion for Muslims all around the world. Ramadan is always followed by three days of celebrations known as Eid al-Fitr, as Muslims thank God for the strength, the will and the endurance he gives them, espe- cially during Ramadan. In Malta, the celebrations are normally on a smaller scale due to the size of the Muslim community but also because of other con- straints the community faces. Sara Abdallah, a Maltese-Palestine Uni- versity student explained that her family normally goes out for dinner to mark the event because her family would need to go to work the next day. "My parents still have to go to work in the morning, and I might still have classes to attend, depending on what day it falls on, so normally what we do is just go out for a dinner together." The atmosphere of Eid al-Fitr comes across as similar to that of Christmas time for Christians. "Families get together, even distant rela- tives. Enemies make an effort to bury the hatchet in this period, because it's all about forgiveness and atonement," said Mortada Makhlouf, a Libyan student at MCAST. Eid al-Fitr around the world On the first morning of Eid al-Fitr, or "fes- tival of breaking of the fast", many Muslims gather in local mosques or any other loca- tion for special prayers called Salat al-Eid, followed by breakfast. The prayer consists of two units and is performed only in congregation. At Eid al-Fitr people dress in their finest clothes, adorn their homes with lights and decorations, give treats to children, and en- joy visits with friends and family. In Saudi Arabia it is common for fami- lies to gather at home after the Eid prayers. Young children line up in front of each adult family member, who give them some money as gifts, followed by the special Eid meal. Many shopkeepers will show their generosity at Eid providing free Eid gifts with each purchase. It is also traditional in some areas for Saudi men to go and buy large quantities of rice and other staples and then leave them anonymously at the doors of those who are less fortunate. Every night in the major cit- ies, one can stop and enjoy the huge fire- works show. In Turkey, schools and government of- fices are generally closed throughout the three-day celebrations. People visit all their loved ones, and pay their respects to the de- parted with organised visits to cemeteries, where large, temporary bazaars of flowers, water, and prayer books are set up for the three-day occasion. It is regarded as espe- cially important to honour elderly citizens by kissing their right hand and placing it on one's forehead while wishing them bayram greetings. It is also customary for young children to go around their neighbourhood, door to door, and wish everyone a "Happy Bayram", for which they are awarded candy, chocolates, traditional sweets such as bak- lava and Turkish delight. In Sudan, sweets are prepared in large batches to serve to guests. Girls and women like to decorate their hands and feet with henna and sometimes parts of the house are painted. The night before Eid, the whole household helps to clean the house and yard and prepare the house with the finest bed sheets, table cloths, and decorations. For the next three days, families visit extended family, neighbours, and close friends. Chil- dren are given gifts, either in the form of toys or money. Pakistanis wear new clothes to get ready for Eid prayer. People give obligatory char- ity on behalf of each of their family mem- ber which allows everybody to share the joy of Eid. After Eid Salat people meet and greet each other with a traditional hug of friendship. At home family members enjoy special Eid breakfast with various types of sweets and desserts until it's time for games and outdoor entertainment. People visit their elders relatives first then others and friends all day and share the joy of the day. The night before Eid al-Fitr, Indonesia is filled with the sounds of adhan, the call for prayer, accompanied by various firecrack- ers or fireworks. In many parts, torches and oil lamps are lit up and placed outside and around homes. After the Eid prayer, people wear their best clothes and gather to greet their family and neighbours. Eid al-Fitr is not only for celebrations but also a time for atonement to ask for forgiveness for sins which they may have committed but were cleansed as a result of the fasting in the Muslim month of Ramadan. Throughout the day, alms for the poor are distributed in the mosques. Sorbo surprised biblical drama was not shot in Malta FORMER Hercules star Kevin Sorbo was left baf- fled when filmmakers behind his new biblical drama opted to shoot in Canada instead of Malta. The actor, who plays Joseph, Jesus Christ's father, in the new film, said "I was looking forward to filming on the Maltese Islands, which has hosted movies like Popeye, Raise The Titanic, World War Z, and By The Sea, but I learned at the last minute we wouldn't be heading for the Mediterranean. "I'd shot (there) once before and it was beautiful, in the middle of the Mediterranean, the water's in- credible; great biblical history there as well and we ended up shooting in North Bay, Ontario. "I was going, 'How's North Bay gonna pass as Je- rusalem?' We shot in this deserted minefill (land- fill) area and it's beautiful. They did a great job." Sorbo has never been one to shy away from his Christian faith and he admits that, coupled with his Republican politics, it may have cost him a few roles over the years. He still feels blessed to have played Hercules on TV but reveals he lost out portraying anoth- er small screen superhero, Superman in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. "I got down to the last two guys for Lois & Clark and I actually booked the part in our last audition scenes," Sorbo told media, "and 24 hours later they called me and said, 'We're gonna go with Dean (Cain) now instead!' "Three months later I got Hercules, so I'm OK." Meanwhile, as well as starring in Joseph & Mary, Sorbo is also directing a faith-based movie, called Let There Be Light in Alabama, which will be re- leased in December, 2017. Actor Kevin Sorbo already shot in Malta and said he was baffled when his latest film was shot in Canada instead of "beautiful Malta" Muslims break their final fast for Ramadam at the Paola Mosque