Cairo - Libyans celebrated the first day of the Eid al-Fitr feast that marks the end of Ramadan on Saturday, at least a day earlier than most of the world's Muslims, Egypt's official MENA news agency reported. Based on the astronomical calculations of religious authorities in their countries, most of the rest of the world's 1 billion Muslims expect to celebrate the holiday on Sunday.
Celebrations do not officially begin until religious authorities in each country spot the crescent moon on the evening of the 29th day of the Muslim lunar month of Ramadan.
At dawn the following morning, observant Muslims traditionally pray together and return home for a morning meal, their first in a month.
This year, Libya, for the second year running, also started Ramadan a day before most other predominantly Muslim countries.
Religious authorities in Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Iran and Morocco have said their calculations indicate the holiday will begin on Monday, extending the month of fasting to 30 days.
