Eid Al-Fitr – What is it?

As one of the biggest Muslim holidays, Eid Al-Fitr presents a great opportunity for marketers to engage with consumers across the Muslim world. By understanding the cultural and religious background of the holiday and the ways in which it is celebrated, marketers will be able to effectively target their approaches to a vast audience of consumers. From the holiday’s history to current market trends, this guide will break down what you need to know about Eid Al-Fitr to make the most of this opportunity.

 

Eid Al-Fitr ad from Burger King

 

Eid Al-Fitr – When is it?

Eid Al-Fitr marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Based on the Islamic lunar calendar, the month of Ramadan lasts for twenty-eight or twenty nine days and the start date shifts earlier each week by about eleven days. This date is not fixed up until the night before, and it may change based on the country (for example, Morocco may celebrate Eid Al-Fitr a day earlier than Egypt does). This table lists projected dates for Eid Al-Fitr in the coming years:

 

Ramadan and Eid Al-Fitr

During Ramadan, practicing Muslims fast from sun up until sunset, every day. This means that during the day, Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, and any vices such as smoking cigarettes or gossiping. The breakfast at sundown is known as iftar, and the meal before sunrise is known as suhoor. The Ramadan fast is extremely religiously significant – it is one of the five pillars of Islam; the foundations of the faith that is practiced by over 2 billion people worldwide from Senegal to Saudi Arabia to Indonesia.

 

Eid Al-Fitr Celebrations

Having talked a bit about the day-to-day of Ramadan, let’s shift our focus to Eid Al-Fitr, which literally translates to the festival of breaking the fast. On the morning of Eid Al-Fitr, there is a large breakfast in the morning or midday, and feasting will take place all throughout the day and into the evening. After visiting the mosque and eating, it is customary to visit relatives and neighbors, to go out as a family and enjoy time in public spaces like parks or city centers, and enjoy the day off in good company.

 

Consumer trends around Ramadan and Eid

More so than with any of the other big Islamic holidays, Eid Al-Fitr is known for being a time when Muslims like to dress up and go all out in their celebrations. Additionally, it is customary for gifts to be exchanged, and for gifts or small amounts of money to be given to children. In some countries, gifts given to children on Eid Al-Fitr may be more important than gifts given on their birthday, or even take the place of birthday gifts. People often use this holiday as a time to complete home improvement projects or purchase new furniture. Throughout the entire month of Ramadan, people will often undertake preparations for the holiday, whether this be purchasing new outfits for their children or investing in a new household appliance.

 

Considering this, Eid Al-Fitr holds vast marketing potential for a wide range of consumers looking for a wide range of products. Among these, adult and children’s clothing, jewelry, children’s toys, household appliances, decor, and food products are certainly some of the most in-demand commodities around Eid Al-Fitr. This holiday is also a great time to market travel promotions, from plane tickets to all-inclusive hotel or resort packages. Granted the emphasis placed on gathering as a family for the holiday, many people are looking to buy tickets to visit their families or take family trips together to a special destination.

 

Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity

Marketers should take care when developing advertisements to make sure they are culturally sensitive and religiously appropriate. To avoid any potential offensiveness in advertisements, marketers should air on the side of caution, centering their messages around family values and respect for Islamic religious traditions without sparking controversy. For example, ads for clothing should consider that Islamic dress tends to be more conservative than Western, and while it is not necessary to exclusively market to the most conservative consumers, ads should be inclusive and cater to all potential consumers as much as possible. Any ads for food or restaurants should be sure to include the Halal logo for any meat products (Halal is the term used to describe meat prepared following Islamic law), and marketers should avoid advertisements for products that Muslims do not consume, mainly pork and alcohol. Let’s take a look at some ways in which marketers can effectively target consumers during Eid Al-Fitr, considering the religious and cultural significance of the holiday.

 

Halal logo and Mcdonald’s ad with Halal logo in bottom right

 

Symbols of Eid Al-Fitr: Crescent Moons and Lanterns

There are a couple of quintessential symbols that Muslims will immediately associate with Eid Al-Fitr. Using these symbols in ads is a great way to acknowledge the religious importance of the holiday, and allows for much creativity in approach and style! The end of Ramadan and the start of Eid Al-Fitr is based on the sighting of the new moon. Therefore, the image of a crescent moon is one of the most widely used symbols for Ramadan and Eid Al-Fitr, and always evokes the spirit of this holiday all throughout the Muslim world.  Another quintessential symbol of Eid Al-Fitr is the decorative lantern. Throughout the Middle East, it is typical to see decorations both in public and inside homes in preparation for Eid Al-Fitr. The most commonly used decor is the lantern, making it a staple of Eid Al-Fitr ads granted its association with the holiday.

 

In-Demand Products for Eid Al-Fitr

Let’s look at some ads that target specific types of products that tend to sell well during Eid Al-Fitr. You’ll notice that many of them include Eid symbols like the crescent moon and lanterns!

 

Clothing

 

Eid Sale ad from Yahsry Egypt

 

Eid clothing ads from V Mart and LC Waikiki Morocco

 

Jewelry

Jewelry ad from Tanishq Jewelry

Special Eid jewelry offers from Astley Clark

 

Household Appliances and Furniture

 

Ads from Carrefour Market Bahrain and Home Center Appliances

 

Furniture ad from Galerie Hanna

 

Children’s toys

 

Ad from Fantasy World

 

Food and Household Goods

Ads from Coca Cola and Carrefour Market UAE

 

Ads from Mövenpick Hotel and Géant Supermarket

 

Travel

Ads from Royal Air Maroc and Travelwings

 

Eid Greetings and Common Messages

In many of these ads, you will notice phrases such as Eid Mubarak and Eid Said. These are two common greetings, translating to ‘Blessed Eid’ and ‘Happy Eid’. You will also notice phrases such as ‘all one for Eid’, which evokes the spirit of community and family gathering that is so important to this special holiday.  

Let’s look at some effective Eid Al-Fitr video advertisements, noting what messages they carry and how these appeal to consumers during the holiday.

 

Surf Excel Laundry Detergent:

This ad hits all the key aspects of Eid: values of family, giving, and religious observance. Additionally, the ad highlights more material aspects of Eid that are culturally practiced: new clothing, special foods, and household decorations.

 

Tata Motors:

Ramadan Kareem 2023 #LeaveNoOneBehind with Tata Motors #NekiAsliIbadat

This heart-warming ad from Tata Motors again focuses on the theme of sharing and togetherness. While the Eid Al-Fitr meal is important, what is most important is sharing, especially with those less fortunate.

 

Ooredoo Telecoms Algeria:

Nos meilleurs vœux pour Aid el Fitr El Moubarak 2015

This ad is short and sweet. It shows many generations of a family gathered together, wearing their finest clothing and having traditional celebratory sweets on the table. Telecoms marketers will find that emphasizing family togetherness during Eid Al-Fitr is a good way to promote the importance of telecommunications.

 

Best Times for Marketing During Eid Al-Fitr

For Eid Al-Fitr promotions, marketers will likely be launching campaigns in the days or weeks leading up to the holiday, which will take place during Ramadan. Because people are fasting during the day, they tend to be much more active during the evening and nighttime hours. There is increased social media and television use during the night compared to non-Ramadan times, so marketers will likely find success launching social media ads in the evening. In terms of Eid Al-Fitr itself, the holiday only lasts for one day, though employers may offer two or three days off. Typically, there is not as much vacation time for Eid Al-Fitr as there is for Eid Al-Adha, the other big Muslim holiday. Because of this, marketers should target their Eid ads for the days and weeks leading up to the holiday, rather than on the day itself.

 

Nighttime shopping at a market in Morocco

 

Social Media Use Around Eid

Given the rapidly increasing rise of various forms of social media, marketers should expect wide audiences throughout the Muslim world to be active on various social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, and others. Because Eid Al-Fitr is such a special holiday that people like to dress up for, it is a big day for social media use and posts of holiday celebrations.

 

Celebratory Eid social media post from Shein Arabic

 

In-Store Promotions For Eid

In-store promotions will find great success for Eid Al-Fitr-related campaigns. Although many throughout the Muslim world are gravitating towards online shopping platforms, there is still a huge market for brick-and-mortar shopping, especially for clothing, jewelry, and household furniture. Eid Al-Fitr campaigns may range from month-long promotions and specials on certain items, to a one-day blowout sale the day before Eid, for example. Marketers should also note that there are large Muslim populations all throughout Europe, North America, and Asia who also celebrate Eid Al-Fitr and would certainly benefit from in-store Eid promotions!

 

Signs for week-long Eid specials at a Carrefour Market in Bahrain

 

Conclusion

After reading this article, you will have an understanding of the background of Eid Al-Fitr, along with traditional celebrations and practices. Ad examples used during Eid show how marketers can appeal to Muslim consumers by promoting in-demand items in culturally respectful ways.

Reseached and Written By:

Luisa Bocconcelli

Image Source Can Be Found Here