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April 30 (UPI) -- Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court on Saturday announced that Eid al-Fitr, the three-day holiday celebrating the end of fasting for Ramadan, would begin Monday. The supreme court indicated that the fasting would continue through Sunday because the crescent moon, which marks the beginning of the Shawwal month of the Muslim lunar calendar, was not seen.
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The decision, made by the department of the Supreme Court tasked with sighting the crescent moon, was announced in a report from the official Saudi Press Agency.
King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the country's ruler, received calls from President Abdelfattah El-Sisi of Egypt, Qatar emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain congratulating him on the advent of Eid al-Fitr.
The International Astronomical Center, based in Abu Dhabi, said in a statement to Twitter that the United Arab Emirates had also announced Monday as the start of Eid al-Fitr along with Qatar, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Palestine, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Egypt, Sudan and Turkey.
Palestinians were seen preparing for Eid al-Fitr on Saturday in the market in Bethlehem, West Bank. Some were seen getting a haircut and shave while children lined up for sweets and others bought meat and other foods for the breaking of the fast.
