Eid ul-Fitr 2026: Thousands of Muslims across the Black Country prepare to celebrate Eid tomorrow
Many Muslims across the region prepare to celebrate Eid ul-Fitr tomorrow, as a new moon was spotted in Saudi Arabia.
Muslims across the Black Country have begun their last day of fasting for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan today (March 19).
On social media, Jamia Masjid Aqsa in Wolverhampton shared that the final Ramadan (Tarawih) prayers had taken place last night.
In a Facebook post last night (March 18), a spokesperson wrote: "Asalamulaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh. Tonight, we will perform the final Tarawih prayers of Ramadhan 2026/1447. The 30 fasts of Ramadhan will be completed tomorrow, meaning the last fast will fall on Thursday, 19th March, inshaAllah. Therefore, Eid ul-Fitr will be on Friday, 20th March, inshaAllah."
The 2021 Census showed there are 14,489 Muslims in Wolverhampton, making up 5.5 per cent of the population. In Birmingham, there are 341,811 Muslims, making up 29.9 per cent of the population.
Local Muslim communities rely on Saudi Arabia to announce the date of Eid ul-Fitr based on the sighting of the crescent of a new moon. It has been announced that Eid ul-Fitr will be celebrated on Friday (March 20).
What is Eid ul-Fitr and why is it important to local Muslim communities?
This is an important religious festival of celebration for thousands of Muslims in the Black Country, and also the roughly 2 billion Muslims globally.
The occasion marks an important point in the Islamic calendar, after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan has ended.
Ramadan is a time where many Muslims take part in fasting, prayer and reflection. This usually lasts for 30 days. Many Muslims during this time will abstain from food, drink, and smoking from dawn to sunset in solidarity with the less fortunate.
In the Islamic calendar, Eid ul-Fitr takes place on the first day of the month of Shawwal.
Read more: Police offer Ramadan reassurance to Muslim communities across Wolverhampton
How is Eid ul-Fitr celebrated?
Many schoolchildren and workers in the Black Country will typically take a day off for 'religious reasons' as Eid ul-Fitr is not a UK national holiday.
Every Muslim community will celebrate in their own way, but there are typical markers of the holiday that cross different cultures.
These include morning congregational prayers at a local mosque, park or even at home. Typically, these festivities include new clothes, Eid money given to children, family visits and plenty of festive food.
