Middle Eastern cuisine becomes a banquet, with exchanges of invitations between kin and friends, and public banquets held by charities and associations. Cafes and pastry shops are open at night, and a carnival atmosphere prevails in the streets. Many Muslims, following the reported example of Muhammad, break their fast with a date, followed by a variety of dishes. Sweet pastries and puddings are always present on Ramadan nights everywhere. The end of Ramadan is marked by a festival, Id 'al-Fitr, a feast that breaks the fast, during which a great quantity and variety of sweets and pastries are consumed. The other major Muslim
Fast of the Firstborn not hear the completion of the tractate, or if he does not understand what he hears, or if he is in the "shiva" period of mourning and is thus forbidden from listening to the Torah material being taught, some authorities rule that subsequent eating would not qualify as a "seudat mitzvah" and he would therefore be forbidden to break his fast. Other authorities allow a firstborn to break his fast under such circumstances. The "Minchas Yitzchak" (ibid.) suggests that a firstborn in such a position should at least try to contribute to the "siyum" in some way, such as by