Holy festival of Eid al-Fitr today in U.S
Ema Alice: Muslim communities across the United States are celebrating the holy festival of Eid al-Fitr today, Friday (March 20). With favorable weather conditions, Bangladeshi-American worshippers have made preparations to hold Eid congregational prayers at more than 200 mosques and adjacent open grounds across the country.
Eid prayers are scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m. and will continue in phases until around 9:30 a.m. Local authorities have taken special security measures to ensure the safety of worshippers during the gatherings.
In New York, the largest Eid congregation will be held at the Jamaica Muslim Center. Additionally, Eid prayers will take place in mosques and nearby open spaces across Jamaica, Jackson Heights, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Ozone Park, Astoria, Manhattan, and other areas.
Nationwide, preparations have been made for Eid prayers at more than 3,000 mosques. Most congregations will be held in open fields, while others will take place in mosques and church halls, according to the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies.
The organization also reports that over the past two decades, the number of mosques and Islamic educational institutions in the United States has increased by 31%. In 2000, there were 1,209 mosques in the country. That number rose to 2,106 in 2011 and reached 2,796 in the most recent count in 2020. The highest number of mosques is in New York State (343), followed by California (304), Texas (224), Florida (157), Illinois (109), and New Jersey (141).
Bangladeshi expatriates are also celebrating Eid al-Fitr with a festive atmosphere reminiscent of home. Eid congregations will be held at Bangladeshi-operated mosques, adjacent grounds, parks, and church halls across various states. In areas without mosques, Eid and Friday prayers have long been in church halls.
Meanwhile, Eid prayers are also expected to take place in mosques, Islamic centers, and more than 150 open fields across Bangladeshi-populated states such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., Virginia, Massachusetts, Connecticut, California, Texas, Florida, Ohio, Illinois, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, South Carolina, Washington State, and Kentucky.
