Muslims all over the world have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the crescent moon in Saudi Arabia this week to mark the start of Eid.

It comes after the holy month of Ramadan began on March 22 and since then, people have been taking part in a variety of celebrations to mark the significant time in the Islamic calendar.

The lunar month of Ramadan is a period of 29 or 30 days where Muslims around the world fast from dawn to sunset.

Fasting in Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam – the essential rules that all Muslims follow – along with the Shahadah (declaration of faith), Salat (prayer), Zakat (charity) and the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

The end of Ramadan and the breaking of the fast depends on the sighting of the crescent moon.

Has the moon been sighted for Eid al-Fitr in 2023?

The Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr officially started on Friday (April 21) after confirmation of the crescent moon appearing in Saudi Arabia.

As the UK doesn't have its own official moon sighting board, the majority of UK Muslims will follow Saudi Arabia's moon sighting, The Mirror reports.

“Tomorrow, Friday, is the first day of Eid al-Fitr for this year,” with Thursday the last day of Ramadan, the official Saudi Press Agency said on its Twitter account.

How do I wish someone a Happy Eid?

Throughout the holiday of Eid, one of the most popular greetings people say is ‘Eid Mubarak’.

Directly translated, this means ‘blessed feast’ or ‘blessed festival’, and is a common way of expressing celebrations to family, friends and communities.

It's polite to respond by saying ‘Khair Mubarak’, which is a way of wishing someone goodwill.