Arsenal star Mesut Özil took to Facebook to wish his followers a happy Ramadan holiday.
Özil shared the same message in five languages – Turkish, English, German, Arabic and Malay – alongside a picture of himself praying before an Arsenal game.
Eid Mubarak or Blessed Eid is a traditional Muslim greeting reserved to celebrate the end of the month of Ramadan. In the Turkish language people traditionally say ‘Ramazan Bayramınız Kutlu/Mübarek Olsun’ which translates to ‘have a happy Ramadan holiday’.
Muslims refrain from from consuming food, drinking liquids, smoking, and engaging in sexual relations during fasting hours – sunrise to sunset.
The month of Ramadan lasts 29–30 days depending on the lunar calendar.
Those who fast wake up before sunrise for sahur which is the pre-fast meal and the break of fast at sunset is called iftar.
Özil was born into a muslim Turkish family in Germany. There are an estimated 3-4 million Turks in Germany making them the largest non-German ethnic minority.
