Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, when Muslims around the world break a month-long dawn-to-sunset fast with prayer, sumptuous foods and illustrious decor. Following the lunar calendar, the holy month floats in a different season each year, beginning and ending with the appearance of the crescent moon.
This year, the end of Ramadan just so happens to coincide with Mother’s Day. So, San Francisco-based organization AROC (Arab Resource and Organizing Center) is celebrating both holidays with a free public festival on Saturday, May 7.
The San Francisco Eid Celebration will include a feast catered by Oasis Grill. It will also bring to the Tenderloin an afternoon of family-friendly activities, live music and community offerings with a Mother’s Day focus—such as the distribution of gift cards to neighborhood mothers. “Moms are the cornerstone of our communities, the cornerstone of our families and the cornerstone of Ramadan,” says Wassim Hage, AROC case manager and outreach manager. “We thought it would be nice to honor them.”
AROC provides free legal services for Arab and Muslim populations across the Bay Area while advocating for Arab liberation from surveillance, Zionism and militarism locally and worldwide. Currently, the organization is advocating for Eid to be recognized as an official holiday by the San Francisco Unified School District.
At Saturday’s festival, guests can learn more about AROC’s community work while celebrating mothers and wishing Eid Mubarak to their Muslim friends and family.
The San Francisco Eid Celebration is on Sat. May 7, from 12–5 pm at 570 Ellis St. in San Francisco. Learn more at the AROC website.
