Muslims have two Eids every year. These Eids come after we do something good for God and try to be closer to Him. The two Eids are Eid Al-Fitr (the small Eid) and Eid Al-Adha (the big Eid).

Eid Al-Fitr comes after Ramadan. In Ramadan, Muslims fast, pray more, and try to be better people. So Eid Al-Fitr feels like a reward after this month.

Eid Al-Fitr starts when the new moon appears as a small crescent after 30 days of fasting. On the 29th night of Ramadan, people in Muslim countries try to see the moon. If it appears as a crescent, then Eid starts and Muslims stop fasting.

On the morning of Eid, Muslims pray a special prayer. It is two rak‘ahs, and we thank God and say “Allahu Akbar”.

All Muslims, men, women, and children, come together for the Eid prayer. After that, they greet each other and say “Eid Mubarak”.

Before we celebrate, we give something called Zakat Al-Fitr. This helps poor people so they can also enjoy Eid. After that, we start celebrating.

On Eid day, families get together and visit relatives. We also give gifts and money (Eidiya) to children and even adults. Eid means family, nice food, sweets, and spending time together. Every country has its own special sweets for Eid.

We usually buy new clothes and wear them on the first day. It makes us feel happy. People also try to forgive each other and start fresh.

Eid lasts for three days. During these days, we keep saying “Allahu Akbar” and thank God.

In conclusion, Eid is about happiness, family, and feeling grateful. We can say from now “Happy Eid everyone, and enjoy this special time together”

Meet the writer:

Amani Shehadeh is from Palestine. Her hobbies are swimming and riding horses. These activities help her to relax and have fun. Her goal is to get a master's degree at UIC in social work.

Please come check out Austin's art on our office door!

This week, March 23 - 27 is spring break! There are no classes this week. Have a safe and fun spring break. We will see you on Monday, March 30th for class. 

Here are some things you can do to continue practicing your English during spring break. 

Class Photos will be during the week you return from spring break! Dress to impress! We are taking photos for our alumni wall! Ask your teacher which day you will take class pictures, and get ready to SMILE! 

Complete Tax Form 8843

International students (F-1, F-2, J-1, J-2 visa) must complete a U.S. tax form. (We know it's crazy, but you really need to do it anyway.)  More information and help is at https://ois.uic.edu/life-at-uic/u-s-taxes/ 

The IRS deadline to file tax returns is Wednesday, April 15, 2026. Do it now.

How to complete Tax Form 8843

You can use the Spritax system from OIS to help you do it easily.

You need these documents before you start.

Visit AH 105 if you have any questions. But first, try it yourself. It is simple.

Remember to register for classes for your next semester (Summer or Fall). Register by Tuesday, April 28, for a 5% discount! You should have received an email with instructions on how to register. Search for “Time to register for Summer courses” in your UIC email. If you try to register and you receive a HOLD message, be sure to contact tutorium@uic.edu.

Remember that there are various kinds of tuition discounts available to you! You can get up to a 20% discount if you combine them. The details are on our website at https://tie.uic.edu/apply/tuition/discounts/.

Our Green Day celebration was so much fun! We decorated cookies, listened to Irish music, and played a game all about green. Not to mention, some of us had a blast wearing fun Irish costume accessories. There was even a green food-tasting competition where the participants had to guess the food with their eyes covered. Green Day was a success! 

Have you every felt frustrated with learning English? I'm sure you have! Sometimes learning a language can seem like a waste of time, especially when you see little progress. Even if you've studied English for years, there's always still so much more to learn. The key to overcoming this struggle is simply to make English a part of life. To learn more about how to turn your life into English, read more>>. 

Did you know that over 80% of the students at the Tutorium want to continue their education at an American university? Are you one of them? TIE classes are designed to teach you the skills and language you need to successfully study at the university level. In addition, we offer these services: 

Do you remember your Midterm Action Plan?  You met with your teacher in week 10.  

You can also visit https://tie.uic.edu/student-services/esl-practice-sites/ for extra help. Don't give up! You can do it.  

Email questions to tutorium@uic.edu.
Or contact us to schedule a virtual or in-person meeting.