You can eat on Eid from the very start of the day – you are not supposed to fast at all on Eid al‑Fitr or Eid al‑Adha.

Quick Scoop

  • Fasting on Eid is forbidden , not just “not recommended”.
  • You don’t have to wait until Eid prayer to eat; you may eat from Fajr time onward because it is not a fasting day.
  • Eid days are meant to be days of eating, drinking, joy, and remembering Allah , after a month or season of worship.

Eid al-Fitr: When exactly can you eat?

For Eid al‑Fitr (1st of Shawwal):

  • The entire day is a non‑fasting day; it is haram to fast that day.
  • Sunnah practice:
    • Eat something (preferably dates, in odd numbers) before going out to the Eid prayer to show that Ramadan fasting has ended.
  • So practically: as soon as Fajr time comes in on the morning of Eid, you do not start a fast ; you can eat breakfast, snacks, etc., normally.

A simple example

If Ramadan ended on Thursday and Friday is 1 Shawwal (Eid):

  • You fast Thursday until Maghrib as the last Ramadan day.
  • After Maghrib Thursday, Ramadan is over; you are no longer fasting.
  • On Friday (Eid morning), you wake up, pray Fajr, and you may eat right away; you should not intend a fast.

Eid al-Adha: Any difference?

For Eid al‑Adha (10 Dhul Hijjah):

  • Also forbidden to fast on that day.
  • Recommended pattern is flipped compared to Eid al‑Fitr:
    • You delay eating until after the Eid prayer , and then eat from your sacrifice (udhiyah) if you are offering one.

But the core rule remains: this is not a fasting day; once Eid day begins, you’re not fasting.

What about the days after?

  • For Eid al‑Fitr :
    • Only 1 Shawwal (the first Eid day) is forbidden for fasting; from 2–30 Shawwal you can fast again (make‑up fasts, six of Shawwal, etc.).
  • For Eid al‑Adha :
    • 10 Dhul Hijjah (Eid) is forbidden, and 11–13 Dhul Hijjah (Days of Tashreeq) are also generally days when fasting is not allowed, except for a specific Hajj‑related case.

Tiny table: Eid and eating

Day Fasting ruling Eating practice
Eid al-Fitr (1 Shawwal) Fasting forbidden Eat before Eid prayer (dates, etc.) to show Ramadan is over.
2–30 Shawwal Fasting allowed Normal days; can fast (qada, voluntary) or eat as usual.
Eid al-Adha (10 Dhul Hijjah) Fasting forbidden Recommended to eat after Eid prayer, from the sacrifice if possible.
11–13 Dhul Hijjah Generally forbidden to fast Days of eating, drinking, and remembrance.
[5][6][2] **TL;DR:** On Eid you don’t fast at all; you can eat from the start of the day, with the Sunnah of eating before the prayer on Eid al‑Fitr and after the prayer on Eid al‑Adha.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.