The Taipei City Government is to hold an event today to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, with Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) expected to hand out “red envelopes” to participants to symbolize good fortune.
The event — to take place at the Taipei Travel Plaza near the Taipei Railway Station — is to feature a wide array of activities to celebrate the end of Ramadan, when families get together to pray and eat fine food, the city’s Department of Information and Tourism said.
The event will feature music by Indonesian performers, including Fitri Carlina, Septi Vhanesa, Relix Band, Sucy Suryati, Fresh Morning and X-series, in addition to attractions such as interactive games, a halal market, a free international calling service and photography booths, the department said.
Ko is t to hand out 500 “red envelopes” with money inside to lucky participants.
However, the envelopes are to actually be green, as the color represents the celebration of life and health in the Muslim world, department Commissioner Chien Yu-yen (簡余晏) said
Giving money is a practice that is similar between Eid al-Fitr and Lunar New Year in the Chinese-speaking community, just like the celebration of family reunions, the department said.
In addition to helping build Taipei’s reputation as a Muslim-friendly city, the event will hopefully also highlight the city’s cherished value of cultural diversity, it added.
The Ministry of Labor has encouraged employers to allow their Muslim workers to observe Eid al-Fitr.
It is crucial that employers respect the religious beliefs of their foreign workers to create a more harmonious relationship between labor and management, the ministry said earlier this week.
The nation is home to about 252,000 Indonesian workers, 85 percent of whom are Muslims, ministry data show.
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