REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SYDNEY - Muslims across Australia have filled mosques and public spaces to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan. The festival of Eid al-Fitr traditionally occurs with the first sighting of the new moon and brings to a close the end of a month of fasting from sunrise to sunset.

Heavy rain failed to dampen the spirit of those flowing into the Lakemba mosque in Sydney's south-west from early Thursday morning for Eid prayers. Roads around the mosque were blocked off to allow the congregation to fill the area.

Families and children left the service with pockets filled with sweets, as is Eid custom. Muslim families are also known to visit relatives in hospital and pay their respects to loved ones who have passed away as part of Eid celebrations

Rarbie Ziad (22 years) attended the prayers and said that for him Eid was all about spending time with family. "After this it's going to be family, so we're going to go see our family, from there we'll go to the cemetery, just visit all our past members, from there come back and have a big lunch."

For Mr Noah, the morning was also about more than just religious observance. 

"When you walk out of the mosque after prayers you see your cousins, your friends," Mr Noah told 702 ABC Sydney. "Eid celebrations are about family and community."

The Lakemba event was attended by leaders of Sydney's Muslim community, senior New South Wales police officers, NSW premier Barry O'Farrell and Federal MPs Chris Bowen and Joe Hockey. Melbourne's Muslim community Eid prayers were held at Flagstaff Gardens from 7.30 am.

The most-recent census figures available, from 2007, indicated there were 340,389 Muslims in Australia, constituting 1.7 per cent of the total population.

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