Eid al-Fitr lasts for three days. It begins with a special morning prayer, often outdoors in big squares where thousands of people gather. Everyone wears their best new clothes - colourful dresses, smart shirts, shiny shoes. Children especially are dressed in their finest, like a brand-new school photo every year.
Then comes the food. Families visit each other's houses, and every house has tables of sweets. Egyptian Eid sweets are famous: little buttery biscuits called kahk dusted with icing sugar, pastries filled with dates, and sweet milk drinks. Children go from house to house and come home with bags of treats.
It is also a time of giving. Adults give children small gifts of money called 'eidiya' - usually a freshly-printed banknote in a bright envelope. Children compare their eidiya at the end of the day to see whose was the biggest. Families also give to people who don't have much, so everyone can celebrate.
In Egyptian streets, the holiday is bright and noisy in the best way. Lanterns called 'fanous' hang in windows. Children play games in squares and parks. The whole country feels like one big family party - and because everyone gets the same days off school, friends can play together for three days in a row.

