The feast of Id al Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadhan, is celebrated tomorrow after the new moon is sighted tonight.
I have to be sincere: I don't quite understand the workings of Islam when it comes to these lunar feasts. The Golden Age of Islam -- in the medieval period -- was marked by amazing advances in astronomy. What I can't figure out is why folks have to wait to find out on which day the holiday will be celebrated. Surely this can be figured out scientifically.
I myself have made it clear to our employees that the day as it appears in our student handbook is the day on which we will celebrate this national holiday -- despite when it actually lands. It is hard to run a school when everyone is trying to figure out just what day will be the holiday. In fact what most often happens is that people simply make it a two-day holiday.
In any case, to all my Muslim readers: عيد مبارك
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