Eid al-Fitr

Eid ul-Fitr is a very important festival in the Islamic calendar and was started by the Prophet Muhammad himself. It is also known as 'The Feast of Breaking the Fast' and is celebrated by Muslims worldwide to mark the end of Ramadan. Eid ul-Fitr takes place on the first day of the tenth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, and Muslims are not permitted to fast on that day

The festival is marked in the following ways:

• The festival day begins with the first sighting of the new moon at the beginning of the tenth month of the Islamic calendar.

• Muslims wear their best clothes, decorate their homes and spend time celebrating with their friends and family.

• Some Muslims may give money to the poor so that they can also enjoy the day.

• Communal celebration services are held both outdoors and in mosques, there are processions through the streets and a special celebratory meal is eaten - the first daytime meal Muslims will have had in a month.

Eid ul-Fitr is a time for families, friends and neighbours to spend time together and share food.

Eid al-Adha

Some Muslims regard Eid ul-Adha as the most important festival as it remembers the prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son when ordered to by Allah. By taking part in this festival, Muslims show that they too are prepared to sacrifice their lives for God.

The festival is celebrated in the following ways:

• A sheep or goat may be sacrificed as a reminder of Ibrahim's obedience to Allah. In the UK, the animal must be killed at a slaughterhouse. The meat is shared out among family, friends and the poor, each getting a third share.

• Muslims go to the mosque for prayers, dressed in their best clothes and thank Allah for the blessings they have received.

• It is obligatory to give money to charity to be used to help the poor so they too can celebrate.

Eid ul-Adha is significant to Muslims today as it reminds them of Ibrahim's obedience, prompting them in turn to consider their own obedience to God. Muslims may ask for forgiveness for times when they have not been fully devoted to God and pray for strength to be devoted in the future.

It is also a time when they visit family and friends as well as offering presents.