After a month of sacrifice, the Muslim community began celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr yesterday, marking the last three days of prayer, fasting and celebration of Ramadan.

Ramadan is a Muslim celebration of deep prayer and fasting, Muslim Student Association (MSA) public relations chair Heather Barton said. She said the Eid celebration is a time to dress up, purposefully eat favorite foods and talk with people about the past month.

Some 200 people celebrated the first day of Eid yesterday morning in the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center's Frizzell Room. Tomorrow, two prayers will be held in the afternoon, one at 12:30 p.m. at the center on campus and another at 1:30 p.m. at the Islamic Center of Central Pennsylvania, 709 Ridge Ave.

A final evening prayer and dinner to commemorate the holiday will take place at 6 p.m. tomorrow at the mosque.

Dayang Rahiza Awang (senior-industrial engineering) said that in Malaysia during Eid, everyone usually stays up all night cooking traditional foods such as chicken, rice and a lot of cookies, and the whole community gathers to offer the Eid prayers. The foods are also prepared differently. For example, the rice is cooked in coconut leaves, and the meat is cooked with lemongrass and a variety of spices, Awang said.

Aimran Hakim Mohd Saleh (senior-electrical engineering) said visiting relatives is an important part of Eid, and it usually lasts two to three days. During these visits, children receive presents, usually money, from the family, he said.

Saleh said celebrating Eid in State College is very different from celebrating it in his home country of Malaysia.

In State College, Saleh said class schedules force students to wake up early to pray if Eid falls on a weekday. During the weekend, they gather with friends and family to make traditional dishes and celebrate more extensively.

Awang and Saleh both said it is easier to fast in State College because the days are shorter compared to Malaysia, and the weather is cooler than the summer-like temperatures of their home country. "You have to find a balance between worship and work," Muhammad Atiyat, MSA public relations chair, said.

Eid can be considered a Christmas or Hanukkah for Muslims, said Hamdan Yousuf, national MSA board member.

Barton said Ramadan is more about self-sacrificing and improving oneself spiritually, and Eid is about celebrating this accomplishment.

During Ramadan, Muslims are also supposed to give up worldly desires, such as smoking, drinking alcohol, swearing and sexual activities, Atiyat said. He said during this month, Satan is chained and unable to tempt worshippers, leaving them to fight their own desires. "There are no disturbances when praying to God," Saleh said.

Saleh said fasting fits in with this holiday because students want to focus on prayer, which cleanses the body and symbolizes cleansing oneself from sin. Saleh said he has been participating in the fast since age 7, so it is not a difficult task for him. "Maybe it is hard for some people, but if you did it since you were small, it is easier to do," he said.