What is Chand Raat?

Where the name comes from

"Chand" means moon and "raat" means night in Urdu and Hindi. On the 29th evening of Ramadan, families wait to hear whether the new moon of Shawwal has been seen. If it has, Ramadan is over and tomorrow is Eid. The excitement of that moment is what Chand Raat is all about. The Prophet ﷺ taught us to start and end the fast by the moon: "Fast when you see it, and stop fasting when you see it" (Sahih al-Bukhari 1909).

How people celebrate it

• Henna: women and girls put mehndi on their hands for Eid.
• Bazaars: markets stay open late with bangles, clothes and sweets.
• Cooking: families prepare sheer khurma, biryani and other Eid dishes.
• Moon watching: some people go outside to look for the crescent themselves.

In the UK and USA you'll often see Chand Raat bazaars and henna stalls in areas with large Pakistani, Indian and Bangladeshi communities. See Can I wear henna as a Muslim woman?

The Islamic side of the night

The religious highlight of Eid night is the takbir. Once the moon is sighted, Muslims begin saying "Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, la ilaha illallah…" and continue until the Eid prayer, following Quran 2:185. See What is the Eid takbir and when do I say it?

Some people also spend part of the night in prayer. There are narrations praising the worship of Eid nights, but scholars consider them weak, so it's a good extra, not a required act. Don't forget zakat al-fitr: it must be given before the Eid prayer.

Keep it balanced

Chand Raat should feel like the joyful end of Ramadan, not a night that undoes it. Avoid loud music, wasteful spending and crowds that lead to mixing or missing Isha. Get some sleep too, so you can wake up for Fajr and the Eid prayer. See What sunnah acts should I do on Eid morning?