[caption id="attachment_463" align="alignleft" width="951"] Previous Eid ul Fitr gathering at Barcelona, Spain. Photo: Mohammad Mubin Khan/Daily Dazzling Dawn[/caption] As the conclusion of Ramadan draws near, moonsighting predictions for Eid ul Fitr 2024 in the UK, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco have been released. Moon visibility estimates have been made public as believers get ready for Eid ul Fitr, a celebration that marks the beginning of Shawwal, the following month in the Islamic calendar. One of the two major Eid celebrations in the Islamic calendar is Eid ul Fitr, sometimes referred to as Eid al-Fitr. It means "festival of the breaking of the fast," and it marks the conclusion of the daily fast during Ramadan from sunrise to sunset. There will be feasts, get-togethers, prayers, and gift-giving during the celebration. Birmingham hosts large public gatherings for Eid, which have grown into Europe's largest Eid events. These celebrations begin with thousands gathering for morning prayers and include food and family activities such as a funfair. The date of Eid ul Fitr is determined after attempts to sight the crescent of the new moon. Astronomical predictions suggest that the moon will not be visible in Saudi Arabia, Morocco or the UK on Monday, April 8. However, it should be easily visible on Tuesday, April 9, and Wednesday, April 10. HM Nautical Almanac Office, a UK Government agency providing astronomical data for religious organisations, the armed forces and diary/calendar manufacturers, has provided detailed insight into the possibility of seeing the first slim crescent forming around the edge of the new moon. In Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the sun will go down at 6.38pm on April 9, with the moon following suit at 7.30pm. Meanwhile, in Rabat, Morocco, sunset on that day will occur at 6.55pm and moonset at 8.04pm. Here in Birmingham, we can expect the sun to set at 7.56pm on April 9, with the moon setting at 9.25pm. Similar timings are expected across other UK locations. Given these timings, experts predict that Eid is likely to fall on either April 10 or 11. The national calendar of Saudi Arabia, which is used by its government for planning events and national holidays, has already marked April 10 as the date for Eid. The Saudi declaration is also followed by Birmingham's Green Lane Masjid and Community Centre (GLMCC), the organisers of the city's big Eid celebrations.