Chaand Raat (, ) is a

South Asia South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...

n Cultural observance on the eve of the festival of

Eid al-Fitr Eid al-Fitr () is the first of the two main Islamic holidays, festivals in Islam, the other being Eid al-Adha. It falls on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims worldwide becaus ...

; it can also mean a night with a new moon for the new Islamic month Shawwal. Chaand Raat is a time of celebration when families and friends gather in open areas at the end of the last day of

Ramadan Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (''Fasting in Islam, sawm''), communal prayer (salah), reflection, and community. It is also the month in which the Quran is believed ...

to spot the new moon, which signals the arrival of the Islamic month of Shawwal and the day of Eid. Once the moon is sighted, people wish each other '' Eid Mubarak'' ("Blessings of the Eid day"). Women and girls decorate their hands with mehndi ( henna), and people prepare desserts for the next day of Eid and do last rounds of

shopping Shopping is an activity in which a customer browses the available goods or services presented by one or more retailers with the potential intent to purchase a suitable selection of them. A Retail#Shopper profiles, typology of shopper types ha ...

. City streets have a festive look, and brightly decorated malls and markets remain open late into the night. ''Chaand Raat'' is celebrated festively and passionately by

Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

(and occasionally non-Muslims as well) all over South Asia, and in socio-cultural significance, is comparable to Christmas Eve.

Etymology

The term is derived from the Hindustani ''chānd rāt'' (, ), literally translating to 'moon night'. The two words in the term are derived from the

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

words ''candrá'' (चंद्र) "

moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It Orbit of the Moon, orbits around Earth at Lunar distance, an average distance of (; about 30 times Earth diameter, Earth's diameter). The Moon rotation, rotates, with a rotation period (lunar ...

" and ''rā́tri'' (रात्रि) "

night Night, or nighttime, is the period of darkness when the Sun is below the horizon. Sunlight illuminates one side of the Earth, leaving the other in darkness. The opposite of nighttime is daytime. Earth's rotation causes the appearance of ...

", respectively.

Background

''Chaand Raat'' celebrations occur on the eve of Eid ul-Fitr, which is celebrated on 1 Shawwal. Originated in

, the beginning of an Islamic month depends on the first sighting of the lunar crescent and thus the month of Ramadan can be of either 29 or 30 days. Chaand Raat occurs on the same evening on which first lunar crescent of the month of Shawwal is observed. As the exact day of Eid ul-Fitr is dependent on the moon sighting, Chaand Raat is often considered more festive on Eid ul-Fitr than

Eid ul-Adha Eid al-Adha () is the second of the two main Islamic holidays, festivals in Islam alongside Eid al-Fitr. It falls on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijja, the twelfth and final month of the Islamic calendar. Celebrations and observances are generally carri ...

, which is known well in advance.

Festivities

Once the new moon is sighted, announcements are made from mosques, television channels and radio stations. Festivities begin almost instantly and continue all night until the morning Fajr prayer. Entire families head out towards the local bazaars, markets and shopping malls. Shoppers usually purchase last-minute items for Eid, such as shalwar kameez, bangles, jewelry, bags, and shoes. Gifts and sweets are brought for friends while toys are brought for children. Barber shops and beauty parlors are also heavily visited in the evening in preparation for the following day. At home, women and girls decorate their hands with mehndi. People also decorate their homes and begin preparing food for the holiday. Decorative lights are put up in markets as well as government buildings, banks and mosques. Chaand Raat also gives a chance for people to meet with friends and extended family.

References

External links

Official Chand Raat in Australia
{{Ramadan, state=expanded Fasting in Islam Festivals of Bangladeshi culture Festivals in India Festivals in Pakistan Eid (Islam) Ramadan Islamic terminology

Etymology

Background

Festivities

See also

References

External links