Piety and brotherhood and festivity marked the first day of Eid al-Fitr as Qatar residents joined Muslims around the world to celebrate the end of the holy month of Ramadan yesterday.
The day began with early morning prayers and then family visits and feasts.
Both citizens and expatriates of different nationalities offered prayers in large numbers at mosques and prayer grounds close to their homes.
Children attired in new dresses accompanied their parents to the prayers which were followed by sermons by leading clerics.
After the prayers and exchanging of greetings, people headed back home for a day of rest and visits to their friends and relatives.
The ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs (Awqaf) had readied 298 mosques and grounds,  including 35 mosques and places reserved for women, in different parts of the country, for the Eid al-Fitr prayers.
There was minimum traffic on the city’s roads during the day but people came out in numbers in the evening.
Because of the hot weather, most people preferred to spend the first day of their Eid holidays indoors with their families and friends.
It was a joyous occasion for children as they received the customary Eid money gifts from senior members of the family.
“Eid money gift is a long established tradition in the local society and most other Arab societies, where senior members usually give youngsters a number of banknotes, which preferably should be new.
The practice still continues but the amount of money given has gone up considerably,” explained a local man in his fifties.
While many families were keen to gather together for food, a considerable number of people said that the old way of life could no longer be maintained as electronic gadgets and smartphones are taking away the focus of people from direct contacts.
Many observed that a growing number of children prefer to play games on their tablets rather than engaging in physical games with their peers.
Besides, more and more people have turned to messaging applications to send Eid greetings rather than making phone calls, or driving long distances for visits.
“People are losing interest in direct and personal contact,” observed another man, pointing out that a large section of the local population preferred to spend the Eid holidays abroad, especially the young people.”
In the afternoon, residents trooped to entertainment venues and malls to enjoy a quite day with their families and friends.
A wide range of events and special attractions have been lined up for the Eid al-Fitr celebrations.
Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) has charted out a programme in collaboration with partners in the public and private sectors at venues across Qatar, including sport organisations, malls and cultural landmarks.
Malls where Eid celebrations are taking place under this initiative are Al Khor Mall, City Center Doha, Dar Al Salam, Ezdan Mall, Hyatt Plaza and Lagoona Mall, which will all host family entertainment shows.
Other venues that will hold Eid festivities and activities as part of QTA’s celebrations include Katara — the Cultural Village, Aspire Zone, The Pearl-Qatar, Aqua Park, Qatar National Theatre and Souq Waqif (Al Rayyan Theatre).