Yesterday and today are Rosh Hashanah and Eid ul-Fitr, important holidays for Jewish and Muslim folk respectively.  They are movable holidays, and are celebrated on the same days this year. 

Eid ul-Fitr is the Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. Eid is an Arabic word meaning “festivity”, while Fiṭr means “to break the fast”  It is celebrated starting on the first day of the Islamic month of Shawwal. (Celebrated September 30-October 1 in 2008)

Rosh Hashanah is the first of the High Holidays, which are specifically set aside to focus on repentance and conclude with Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashanah is the start of the civil year in the Hebrew calendar (one of four “new year” observances that define various legal “years” for different purposes). It is the new year for people, animals, and legal contracts. The Mishnah also sets this day aside as the new year for calculating calendar years and sabbatical (shmita) and jubilee (yovel) years. Rosh Hashanah commemorates the creation of man whereas five days earlier, on 25 of Elul, marks the first day of creation  (Celebrated September 20-October 1, in 2008)

Salaam and Shalom!