Eid is one of the most important celebrations in the Islamic calendar. Muslims celebrate Eid twice a year. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting, and is a day of gratitude, charity and togetherness. Eid al-Adha, which falls roughly two months later, commemorates the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son in obedience to God, and coincides with the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Makkah. Both Eids begin with a special congregational prayer, followed by a short sermon (khutbah), and then a day spent with family, food and community.
Eid in the Park began on a grass verge in 2011 with a handful of families, a borrowed speaker and a hope that one day the whole of Muslim Peterborough might greet the morning together: under open sky, in a public park, shoulder to shoulder with their neighbours.
Fifteen years on, thousands now arrive before sunrise, unfolding prayer mats across the lawns of Central Park. What follows the khutbah is the heart of it: children on the playground, friends spreading picnic blankets, stalls for henna and sweets, elders in quiet conversation by the flower gardens. It happens twice a year, for Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, and everyone is welcome.