As Ramadan comes to an end, North Jersey Muslims look forward to Eid celebrations

On the last day of Ramadan, Adam Bulent Ozdemir started the day differently than others this past month. Instead of prayer, his family was preparing for Eid Ul Fitr, a three-day celebration that breaks a month of daylight fasts with delicious foods such as baklava and hummus.

After a month of introspection, Muslims around the world marked the end of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and the holy month of fasting. The month begins and ends with the appearance of the crescent moon, taking place this year from April 2 and ending on Sunday.

Passover, Easter and Ramadan intersected this calendar year. Passover started on April 15 and Easter was celebrated on April 17.

For Ozdemir, Ramadan provided introspection on how to be a better person. He said he was sad that it had come to an end, but that he was looking forward to Eid Ul Fitr.

“The fasting makes you discipline yourself,” Ozdemir said. “You want to do more good things.”

Filiz Silverhil of Garfield with her son at an Iftar dinner at Peace Islands Institute in April.

An immigrant from Turkey, Ozdemir, 45, is the executive director of Peace Islands Institute, a Turkish American organization with a New Jersey office in Hasbrouck Heights. Peace Islands will have a potluck celebration Monday for its volunteers and friends, Ozdemir said.

Ozdemir lives in Wayne with his wife Melissa and his two children ages 10 and 5. They will be marking the celebration period by visiting friends and family the next three days. Throughout the month, Ozdemir has hosted iftar dinners after sunset at home and at the Peace Islands office for friends and family. Children usually do not start fasting until puberty, but his 10 year-old daughter this year decided to try fasting without pressure on certain days, Ozdemir said.

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During the holy month, after the sunset prayer, Muslims gather in their homes or mosques to break their fast from sun up to sun down with the iftar meal that is shared with friends and extended family.

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For public celebrations, Peace Islands will be hosting a public Eid festival Sunday, May 8, at 1 p.m. on the grounds of Pioneer Academy at 164 Totowa Road in Wayne. The Al ‘Ummah Community Center of New Jersey will host its Eid Festival on May 7 from 12 to 6 p.m. at 50 Oakdene Ave. in Teaneck.

The Turkish and Muslim population settle in New Jersey due to the region’s diversity and availability of jobs, said Hakan Yesilova, editor of Fountain Publishing in Clifton. He said he enjoyed the period of introspection during Ramadan and fasting.

“You get used to it, you feel lighter,” Yesilova said.

Nearly 194,000 people of Turkish ancestry live in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, including about 17,000 in New Jersey.

Peace Islands Institute was founded in 2003 to promote interfaith relations, Ozdemir said.

“It’s for us to get to know each other, promote dialogue,” Ozdemir said.

Mary Chao 趙 慶 華 covers the Asian community and real estate for NorthJersey.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news out of North Jersey, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: mchao@northjersey.com

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ Muslims look forward to Eid celebrations after Ramadan ends