Photos: Ramadan celebrations around the globe
Muslims gather for an Eid al-Fitr prayer, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, at the Bradford Central Mosque in Bradford, England, on Thursday, May 13.
Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images

Ramadan celebrations around the globe

Updated 1621 GMT (0021 HKT) May 13, 2021

Muslims gather for an Eid al-Fitr prayer, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, at the Bradford Central Mosque in Bradford, England, on Thursday, May 13.
Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images

In many parts of the Muslim world, the holy month of Ramadan began on April 12. For the second year in a row, practicing Muslims observed the month during a pandemic -- a reality that would, again, disrupt age-old communal traditions for many.

The daily Ramadan fast is broken at dusk, not just with food and drink but with a gathering of friends, family and colleagues. It's also a time when financially secure Muslims are encouraged to feed poorer families in their larger communities.

Once again, Muslim communities tried to come together while staying physically apart.

Muslims ride a Ferris wheel in Nairobi, Kenya, during Eid al-Fitr celebrations on May 13.
Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images
People traveling for Eid al-Fitr rush to a ferry terminal in Munshiganj, Bangladesh, on May 13.
Mahmud Hossain Opu/AP
A man arranges his son's traditional head covering after Eid al-Fitr prayers in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, on May 13.
Amr Nabil/AP
People buy chicken at a market in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, as they prepare for Eid al-Fitr on Wednesday, May 12.
Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images
A man reads verses from the Quran at the Khaldi mosque in Gaza City on Saturday, May 9.
Hatem Moussa/AP
A woman prays outside the Dome of the Rock at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Friday, May 7.
Ahmad Gharabli/AFP/Getty Images
A child has her face painted during a gathering for a mass iftar (fast-breaking) meal in Aleppo, Syria, on May 6.
Muhammed Said/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Muslims in Islamabad, Pakistan, take part in a May 4 procession to commemorate the anniversary of the death of the Prophet Mohammad's companion and son-in-law, Imam Ali.
Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty Images
A health worker administers a Covid-19 test at a bus station in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, on May 3, ahead of Eid al-Fitr homecomings.
Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP/Getty Images
A dancer performs a Sufi dance at a party in Cairo on May 1.
Ahmed Goma/Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images
Coal miners pray as they break their fast underground in Zenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina, on April 29.
Kemal Softic/AP
A man swings sparkler fireworks on a beach in Gaza City on April 26.
Hatem Moussa/AP
Volunteers prepare iftar food plates for Muslim devotees to break their fast in Karachi, Pakistan, on April 23.
Rizwan Tabassumi/AFP/Getty Images
Muslims take part in Friday prayers outside a mosque in Peshawar, Pakistan, on April 23.
Muhammad Sajjad/AP
People practice social distancing at the Putra Mosque in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on April 16.
Mohd Rasfan/AFP/Getty Images
A child plays with soap bubbles as Muslims prepare to break their fast in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images
A Muslim devotee prays before breaking his fast in Karachi, Pakistan.
Rizwan Tabassum/AFP/Getty Images
Muslims perform the evening "tarawih" prayer around the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on April 13. Only people who've been vaccinated or recently recovered from Covid-19 will be allowed to perform prayers at the Grand Mosque.
AFP/Getty Images
A man in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, prays at the Al Farooq Omar Bin Al Khattab Mosque on April 14.
Francois Nel/Getty Images
Muslims pray after breaking their fast at the Massalikul Jinaan mosque in Dakar, Senegal.
Leo Correa/AP
Workers in Allahabad, India, prepare vermicelli, which is used in a traditional sweet dish popularly consumed during Ramadan.
Sanjay Kanojia/AFP/Getty Images
Muslims perform evening prayers at the Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo.
Sayed Hassan/Picture Alliance/Getty Images
Coal-mine workers pray at a pre-dawn meal in Zonguldak, Turkey.
Gokhan Yilmaz/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Muslims in Segou, Mali, receive aid packages from Turkey.
Mehmet Kaman/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
A man prays at the Diyanet Center of America in Washington, DC.
Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
The Diyanet Center of America greets Muslims for the first prayer of this Ramadan.
Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Children dance during a street celebration in Mosul, Iraq. This photo was taken with a long exposure.
Zaid Al-Obeidi/AFP/Getty Images
A man reads a copy of the Quran at the Omari Grand Mosque in Gaza City.
Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty Images
Muslims pray at a mosque in Lhokseumawe, Indonesia.
Fachrul Reza/NurPhoto/Getty Images
People drive past a stall selling Ramadan lanterns in Shubra, a suburb of Cairo.
Khaled Desouki/AFP/Getty Images
A cannon is fired in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, to mark the beginning of Ramadan.
Elman Omic/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
People spread out as they pray at a mosque in Zagreb, Croatia.
Stipe Majic/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Ahead of Ramadan, a woman buys pickles at a market in Nablus, West Bank.
Ayman Nobani/Xinhua/Getty Images
Muslims pray at the Al-Akbar Mosque in Surabaya, Indonesia.
Suryanto/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Young Palestinians swing homemade sparklers in the Rafah refugee camp in Gaza.
Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty Images
A man in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, prepares a telescope to observe the new moon that marks the start of Ramadan.
Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images
A Palestinian shopkeeper hangs a Ramadan lantern at her shop in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Ahmad Gharabli/AFP/Getty Images
Ramadan messages are illuminated above the Camlica Mosque in Istanbul.
Islam Yakut/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images