Chand Raat stands for moon-night. The day falls on the 15th of Shaban, the month right before Ramadan. The night is celebrated like most festivals with family and friends gathering together to eat and celebrate. The festival is also a time for buying new clothes and enjoying moon-light bathing (if one can afford it)

1. The Chand Raat Festivities
The Chand Raat Festivities: An occasion to welcome Eid
Chand Raat is the eve of Eid and is celebrated with great fanfare and joy. Families gather together
to celebrate the occasion and exchange gifts. The most important part of Chand Raat is the sighting
of the moon, which marks the beginning of Eid. Once the moon has been sighted, families break
their fasts and offer prayers. The celebrations continue into the night with music, food and
fireworks.
Chand Raat is a time to come together and celebrate the arrival of Eid. It is a time for family and
friends to enjoy each other's company and wish each other well. The festivities are a joyous way
to usher in a new month and celebrate all that Allah has bestowed upon us.

2. The festivities begin with people going outside to look for the moon. A lot of excitement is in the
air as everyone waits with bated breath for the moon to be sighted. It is a time when families come
together to exchange chand raat gifts and greet each other eid mubarak. Family, friends and
neighbors gather together in mosques, homes and outdoors looking up into the sky praying that
they can see the crescent-shaped moon symbolizing Ramadan coming to an end. Once the moon
has been sighted, eidiya (money given by parents or elders) is presented to children and eid prayers
are offered at local mosques or home prayer areas.
The night is filled with eidiya, eid gifts and eid cards that are exchanged amongst friends and
family. Gifts are given to children usually consist of sweets, fruit or money. Adults tend to give
each other clothes for Eid as well as eidiya (money). Some families also gather together for the
iftar meal which breaks the day-long fast. Then comes high tea (served at midnight) which is
followed by song and dance until dawn! The chand raat festivities come to an end when people
catch up on sleep before Eid Salah (the eid prayer) begins in the morning.
When:
The chand raat festivities begin right after maghrib (when sunsets in the west) and eid is just around
the corner.
Where:
One can find chand raat festivities happening all over town. It is not uncommon to see people
gathering outside their homes, enjoying the cool breeze as they gaze up at the sky waiting for the
moon to be sighted. Mosques are also filled with activities as eidiya, eid cards and eid gifts are
exchanged amongst friends and family.
Who goes to Chand Raat?
Everyone! The chaand raat festivities bring together families, friends children and even neighbors
who come together to celebrate Eid Mubarak! This event brings about a feeling of unity that is
often missing in today's world where everyone seems too busy with work or other matters to pause
and reflect on what eid is truly about.

3. What goes on during Chand Raat?
On the night of chand raat, eidiya is given to children from their parents along with eid cards and
eid mubarak wishes. Adults get eidiya from one another as well as eid gifts which range from
clothes to sweets or fruit. Special prayers are offered at mosques asking for forgiveness of sins and
eidiya is also collected for the less fortunate who may not have been able to celebrate eid in a
traditional manner. It's more than just eid festivities, it's a time for families and friends to come
together.
The Ramadan Gift “Eid ul-Fitr” by Almighty Allah:
The main highlight of Chand Raat is the sighting of the crescent moon also called eid ka chand,
which marks the beginning of Eid ul-Fitr. When the moon is sighted, everyone wish each other
Eid ka chand Mubarak, families offer prayers and celebrate with fireworks and other festivities.
Eid is a time for family, friends, and loved ones. For many Muslims, it's a time to focus on good
deeds and charity. One of the most important aspects of the Eid celebration is the eid gift. The eid
gift has been a tradition in Muslim societies for hundreds of years. It consists of a small token
given by elders to younger members as an Eid greeting during Eid ul-Fitr or Eid al-Adha. In earlier
times, eidiya was prepared from domestic products such as grains and ghee during eids while today
gold coins are used as eidiya due to its high value.
In South Asia eidiya is known as e (Urdu: ‫)عیدی‬ or eid-numa (Urdu: ‫نوما‬ ‫)عید‬. Eid-ul eed is also
celebrated for three days in Bangladesh, eid al-fitr is an official holiday in Pakistan.
It is considered highly auspicious to wear new clothes on the day of eid. Children are usually given
new clothes by elders before eid. Many women buy new clothes during eid while some borrow
them from friends and relatives. On eid many people eat different types of sweet dishes often with
milk products, including kheer custard, sheer khurma etc. Get together parties are also arranged in
the homes by many people and families on eid days.
Final Words:

4. Chand Raat is the eid of the moon sighting – “eid ka chand”. It's a time when family and friends
gather together eid mubarak to exchange eidiya, gifts and eid cards. They go outside at maghrib
(when sun sets in the west) to look for the moon (eid ka chand), hence the name chand raat, which
means moon night eid celebrations. The most important part about celebrating chand raat is eidiya
given from parents or elders during eidiya, eid cards exchanged amongst friends, children and even
neighbors come gather together, celebrate eid mubarak.
The eid of eidiya, eid cards and eid gifts is a time for friends and family to come together and
reflect on what eid means to them. Just like the saying goes, eidiya brings happiness to the giver
and the receiver. May 2022 chand raat be filled with joy for you and your loved ones! Ameen.