( CNN ) -- This Friday , Muslims around the world will bid goodbye to a long month of fasting with three days of feasting and festivities . The faithful usher in the holiday , Eid al-Fitr , with joyous community prayers , acts of charity , visits from far-flung relatives , gift-giving and hearty greetings of `` Eid Mubarak , '' or happy Eid . This year , however , one controversy has cast a pall over the celebrations for many Muslims : a Florida pastor 's threats to burn copies of the Muslim holy book , the Quran , on the anniversary of the September 11 , 2001 , attacks . `` Although the joy of Eid is still there , the sense that we Muslims belong in this society as equals seems to be under threat and there is a somber note in everybody 's preparations , '' said Wasima Reza of Raleigh , North Carolina . She said she will take her children to Eid prayer services so they can feel a sense of community . `` I want them to be proud of the fact that they are Muslims and feel that they can practice their religion in their own country , without fear , '' she said . Ayaz Hyder of Piscataway , New Jersey , is one of many who feel the holiday -- one of the most important in the Islamic calendar -- has been hijacked by whether or not the Rev . Terry Jones , the head of a small church in Gainesville , Florida , will go ahead with his Quran burning plans . `` He got what he wanted out of this . His 15 minutes of fame , '' he said . `` I will have more people at my place for Eid this year than this guy has congregants but yet he 's still dominating the headlines . '' Indeed , from Indiana to Indonesia , the planned burning was on many Muslim minds . In Indonesia , President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono urged the United States and United Nations to act as he read a statement from the palace grounds on Eid day Friday . `` I am of course aware of the reported cancellation of the deplorable act by Rev . Terry Jones . However , none of us can be complacent until such despicable idea can totally be extinguished , '' he said . In Afghanistan , sporadic demonstrations broke out Friday , with the largest demonstration in the northern province of Badakhshan where hundreds of Afghans protested outside a NATO base . NATO officials said two people were hurt , but provincial authorities said one person was killed . The holiday bids goodbye to Ramadan -- a month of dawn-to-dusk abstinence from food , drinks and other sensual pleasures . Muslims believe the Quran , the religion 's holy book , was revealed to Prophet Muhammad during Ramadan more than 1,400 years ago . Eid is one of two major holidays in Islam , alongside another called Eid al-Adha . The latter commemorates the prophet Abraham 's willingness to sacrifice his son for God . The night before Eid , entire communities gather on rooftops , scanning the sky with giddy anticipation to see if they can see the crescent of a new moon . Preparations for the feast begin as soon as it is sighted . In Tawab Qurayshi 's home in Lashkar Gah , Afghanistan , the menu includes rice , stew , kabobs and freshly baked Afghan cookies . Like Muslims elsewhere , Qurayshi and his family members don new clothes -- to symbolize a fresh start , he said . The fun continues on the second day with a uniquely Afghan tradition : egg fights . Men , armed with hard-boiled eggs , try to break each others ' . The one whose egg cracks receives light-hearted ribbing . It is a joyous time when even the Taliban cease fighting -- a rare respite in a war-ridden country , he said . `` The day itself is , and has always been , about yummy foods , new outfits , '' said Sumi Mehtab of New York . `` This whole Quran burning issue casts a negativeness on what should be a totally joyous occasion and I 'm annoyed at how dumb people can get . '' But Ottawa , Canada , native Siffan Rahman was n't going to let the controversy ruin her holiday . `` I turned off the TV because I do n't want to hear about it anymore , '' she said . `` Eid should be about celebrating , house-hopping , stuffing our tummies and staying up late with friends . And that 's what I 'm going to do . '' CNN 's Atia Abawi in Kabul , Afghanistan , and Kathy Quiano in Jakarta , Indonesia , contributed to this report .
Eid al - Fitr marks the beginning of Ramadan -- dawn - to - dusk abstinence from food and drinks . The Quran burning festival has upset a lot of Muslims this year . Many , however , say it should not affect the festivities .