New moon sighting signals end of Ramadan

Henna artwork on the hand of a woman at the Green Dome Masjid during Ramadan on June 3, 2019

Ramadan ended for Muslims in Calgary Monday night following confirmed sighting of the new moon.

Muslims from across Calgary gathered at the Green Dome Masjid in the northeast Monday evening to search the night sky for the new moon.

"Today is a very blessed day. It's a very special night," explained Syed Sohawardy, founder of the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada. "The crescent for the Eid ul-Fitr, which is tomorrow (Tuesday), has been sighted across North America in Maryland and in Houston especially. The moon sighting committees have taken the witnesses from various citizens around the continent and they have declared the moon has been sighted. Therefore, Ramadan ends at sunset."

Eid ul-Fitr, known as the festival of breaking the fast, is considered to be a religious holiday that commemorates the end of Ramadan. It’s where Muslims thank Allah (God in Arabic) and the celebration may last for up to three days.

This year, Ramadan started on May 5 and was observed for 29 days as of Monday night. Muslims fasted during the daytime hours, from sunrise to sunset, while observing the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, a practice that began in the early days of Islam in 621 A.D.