What it means
عید فطر (eid-e fetr) is the Islamic holiday that marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. Both components are Arabic: عید (eid) means festival or celebration, and فطر (fetr) means breaking a fast. In Persian, the full phrase is often shortened to عید in everyday speech, with context making it clear which festival is meant. A close related term is عید نوروز, but that is the Persian New Year, a distinct celebration with entirely different timing and origins.
How to use it
- عید فطر مبارک! (eid-e fetr mobârak!) “Happy Eid al-Fitr!”
- فردا عید فطره، مدرسه تعطیله. (fardâ eid-e fetré, madrese ta’tilé.) “Tomorrow is Eid al-Fitr, school is closed.”
- برای عید فطر لباس نو خریدم. (barâye eid-e fetr lebâs-e no kharídam.) “I bought new clothes for Eid al-Fitr.”
- توی عید فطر همه خانواده جمع میشن. (tuye eid-e fetr hame khânevâde jam’ mishan.) “For Eid al-Fitr the whole family gathers.”
Cultural note
In Iran, عید فطر is a public holiday and one of the most important Islamic festivals of the year. Families visit one another, children receive gifts of money called عیدی (eidi), and large communal prayers are held in open spaces or mosques. Because Iran uses an official Islamic lunar calendar alongside the solar Hijri Shamsi calendar, the exact date of عید فطر shifts each year. The holiday is observed by the majority Shia Muslim population as well as Sunni Muslim communities throughout the country.