The minister of Interior has declared Monday, April 24 as a public holiday in Ghana. The day marks the annual Eid-ul-Fitr celebration by Muslims across the globe. All schools in Ghana will be on break on Monday, 24th April, 2023 to mark that day.

In a statement, on Tuesday, said the Eid-ul-Fitr celebration falls on Saturday and as such the President through an Executive Instrument declared April 24 as a public holiday.

“The general public is hereby notified that Saturday, 22nd April 2023, marks Eid-ul-Fitr which is a statutory holiday.”

“However, in view of the fact that 22nd April falls on a Saturday, His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Ghana, has by Executive Instrument (E), in accordance with Section 2 of the Public Holidays and Commemorative Days Act, (Act 601) declared Monday, 24th April 2023 as an additional public holiday and should be observed as such throughout the country.”

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About Eid al-Fitr

Eid al-Fitr is an Islamic festival that marks the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk each day. It is the first time Muslims can eat during daylight hours after fasting during Ramadan. The translation of “Eid al-Fitr” from Arabic sums up the holiday as it means “festival of breaking the fast.”

Eid al-Fitr is celebrated during the first three days of Shawwal, which is the tenth month in the Muslim (lunar) calendar. This means that the timing of Eid al-Fitr (and Ramadan) is different every year as it is based on the lunar cycle. It does not begin until the new moon is seen, which means it starts at different times for different Muslims around the world. However, some Muslims choose to celebrate Eid al-Fitr when the new moon first appears over Mecca instead of their own locations.

Muslims around the world perform communal prayer at daybreak on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, after cleansing themselves and donning new clothes. They then continue to celebrate for three days. A common greeting during Eid al-Fitr is “Eid Mubarak,” which means “Blessed Eid.” This greeting is used to wish other Muslims well during Eid.

These celebrations during Eid al-Fitr vary from country to country but include visiting family and friends, giving presents, enjoying feasts, wearing new clothes, and visiting the graves of relatives. Through these celebrations, Muslims show their gratitude to Allah after reflecting and fasting during Ramadan.

This holiday is also a reminder for Muslims to be grateful for what they have as well as to help the less fortunate. This is known as zakat, which is one of the five pillars of Islam. Zakat is a requirement that all Muslims with the means to do so donate to the less fortunate. Zakat significantly increases during Ramadan and continues as an important part of Eid al-Fitr.

Written by Ghana Education News Editorial Staff

The Ghana Education News Editorial Staff is comprised of seasoned education consultants, policy analysts, and verified journalists dedicated to providing accurate, timely, and credible updates on the Ghanaian GES curriculum, WAEC updates, and academic leadership.