''Chaand Raat'' (, , ur, , lit=Night of the moon) is a

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...

location In geography, location or place are used to denote a region (point, line, or area) on Earth's surface or elsewhere. The term ''location'' generally implies a higher degree of certainty than ''place'', the latter often indicating an entity with an ...

, used for the eve of the

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

festival of Eid ul-Fitr; 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 , type = islam , longtype = Religious , image = Ramadan montage.jpg , caption=From top, left to right: A crescent moon over Sarıçam, Turkey, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Ramadan Quran reading in Bandar Torkaman, Iran. ...

to spot the

new moon In astronomy, the new moon is the first lunar phase, when the Moon and Sun have the same ecliptic longitude. At this phase, the lunar disk is not visible to the naked eye, except when it is silhouetted against the Sun during a solar eclipse. ...

, which signals the arrival of the

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

ic month of Shawwal and the day of Eid. Once the moon is sighted, people wish each other ''Chaand Raat Mubarak'' ("Have a blessed night of the new moon") or ''

Eid Mubarak Eid Mubarak is an Arabic term that means “Blessed feast/festival'”. The term is used by Muslims all over the world. Internationally Muslims use it as a greeting on the feast. In the social sense, people usually celebrate Eid al-Fitr after Ram ...

'' ("Blessings of the Eid day"). Women and girls decorate their hands with

mehndi Mehndi () is a form of body art and temporary skin decoration from the Indian subcontinent usually drawn on hands or legs. They are decorative designs that are created on a person's body, using a paste, created from the powdered dry leaves of ...

( henna), and people prepare desserts for the next day of Eid and do last rounds of shopping. 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 (and occasionally non-Muslims as well) all over South Asia, and in socio-cultural significance, is comparable to

Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...

Etymology

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

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

words ''candrá'' (चंद्र) "

moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...

" and ''rā́tri'' (रात्रि) "

night Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends o ...

", respectively.

Background

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

Festivities

Once the new moon is sighted, announcements are made from

mosques A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, i ...

, 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

. 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 Official Chand Raat Mela in Virginia Moon sighting curves
{{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