- Muslim holy month of Ramadan ended Saturday at sunset, with breaking of daily fasts
- Sunday celebrations of Eid al-Fitr will not include typical large gatherings
- Halal food distribution sites set up in Queens Saturday to help any food-insecure Muslim New Yorkers
- Tradition is to buy sweets to share with family
The Muslim holy month of Ramadan is now officially over. While many Muslim New Yorkers are making time to celebrate, due the lockdown, their festivities may be quite different from anything they’ve experienced before.
Ramadan ended Saturday at sundown.
In Astoria, there was a line around the corner outside Al-Sham Sweets and Pastries on Steinway Street, as many Muslim New Yorkers stood in a long but socially distanced line so that they could pick up some homemade baklawa and other traditional Middle Eastern desserts for their celebrations.
“The tradition is to buy a lot of sweets and give to family and go visit families,” said Dean Bealyachi of Astoria.
When NY1 asked Amelia Abdellatif, who traveled from Forest Hills to wait in line if she was ready to celebrate, she said, “Yeah! Of course. Who wouldn’t be? Some good food! Some good music! Good company.”
But for some, the city’s lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak finds them marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan like never before.
“Unfortunately, because we’re a little restricted because of movement, we’ll just be celebrating amongst the four of us,” said Abdellatif. “Immediate family. Thank God for technology we’ve been doing a lot of WhatsApp calls, video chats, just trying to get the family connected through technology.”
After a month of daily fasting from sunrise to sunset, several people told NY1 they’re looking forward to a traditional Muslim celebration Sunday, known as Eid al-Fitr, which places a big emphasis on food.
Yet with the pandemic preventing large gatherings at mosques and at home, where people who are food insecure would have received a guaranteed meal, some food distribution sites were set up Saturday in Astoria, East Elmhurst, and Jackson Heights to help fill the void. Halal meals were given out to ensure that Muslim New Yorkers who needed food most did not go hungry.
The distribution site in East Elmhurst was at the district office for State Senator Jessica Ramos. When NY1 asked a man who identified as Muslim how grateful he was for the Halal food that he received, he said, “It helps you a lot.”
And while many are feeling sad they can’t partake in big celebrations due to the city’s social distancing guidelines, they've come to grips with why this year must be different.
“Ramadan is all about family,” said Bealyachi, as he waited to pick up pastries. “It’s about meeting the loved ones, after we break fast we go to the mosque, and we pray and so we couldn’t do that this year, which was very odd but we had to follow the rules. It’s for the good of the city and everything.”