Members of Canberra's Islamic community have broken their fast after the holy month of Ramadan.
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After fasting from sunrise to sunset for 30 days, Canberrans celebrated Eid al-Fitr with prayer and a smorgasbord of delicious food on Wednesday.
At the Australian Ahmadiyya Muslim Association's new prayer centre in Fyshwick, Eid was a burst of colour and excitement.
Little girls wore intricately beaded saris and showed off their henna-patterned hands, while slabs of orange jalebi were laid out on the table.
Association external affairs secretary Abdul Latif said the feeling during the three-day festival was like Christmas.
"It's a family event, it's a community event, it's a national event in countries where you have more of a Muslim population. It's a very big occasion, like Christmas," Mr Latif said.
Eid, which marks the end of the holy month of prayer, fasting and giving, is a day for feasting, presents and for family.
Mr Latif said on the morning of Eid, Muslims dressed in new clothes and headed to the mosque for prayer.
After prayer and a sermon, members of Canberra's small Ahmadiyya Muslim community embraced each other three times before tucking into sweet treats and spending the rest of the day with their families or doing charity work.
"That's our tradition, that we remember all of those people that are sick and needy," Mr Latif said.
But Dr Salma Karim said Eid was a particularly exciting time for the children.
"The kids were waiting through the month, they knew we were going to have Eid so they were preparing and looking forward [to it]. They are really excited this morning," she said.
Mr Latif said they hoped to continue the traditions they set down in Ramadan for the rest of the year.
"The purpose of Ramadan is to make ourself prepare for the next 11 months. We pray that we follow those things that we did during Ramadan, like peace and prayers for ourself and our community and for our relatives," Mr Latif said.
"We wish peace to everyone, to every person in Australia, outside Australia and we hope there's no fight, no trouble, political or religious that divides this nation in any way."
