By Ayman AdlyStaff ReporterMuslims offered Eid prayers at mosques and prayer grounds across the country marked by brotherhood, piety and joy on the first day of Eid al-Fitr yesterday. The designated grounds and the masjids were filled with worshippers who came from different backgrounds, languages and cultures and it was a pleasing sight to see them standing side by side in rows performing the Eid prayers.Children, dressed in new clothes accompanied their parents to perform the religious rites. “It is very important to start the Eid by performing prayers. Though we usually stay up late on the Eid eve in preparation of celebrating the festival with family and close friends, we are very keen to get up very early to perform the group prayers with other believers,” said Jassem, a local man in his forties. He was also accompanying his four children, with all of them attired in new clothes.“Missing the early Eid prayers would spoil the joy of the whole day. We get used to do so and it makes me feel great when I am back home to have breakfast with all. Getting the gift money from the elders of the family is of course the most important part of Eid,” said Abdallah, one of the boys aged around 14. Many expatriates also expressed similar sentiments, especially Arabs, indicating that they feel at home in Qatar. A considerable number of them said the rituals and practices are almost identical, in particular regarding the early morning hours of Eid. However, most of them indicated that the Eid atmosphere looked quieter here compared to their home countries. “It is less crowded here with few pedestrians on the streets, may be because of the heat. The scene of children running around is also really played down,” said a Syrian expatriate, regretting the bloodshed in his home country. “Yet, we thank God Almighty for the blessings of peace, security and prosperity, we enjoy here. We pray that all countries may share the blessings,” added another Egyptian expatriate. Scholars and clerics delivered Eid sermons, exhorting the faithful to continue with the good deeds of Ramadan. Most of the preachers urged the believers to follow the lessons learnt during Ramadan in the days ahead. “You can draw on the stored spiritual energy gained during the holy month of Ramadan to continue through the way of goodness and piety,” one of the preachers said.There were special arrangements made for Eid prayers for some of the expatriate communities, enabling them to listen to sermons in their own languages delivered by scholars living here or flown in for the purpose. In some other places, the sermon in Arabic was translated to the language of the majority worshippers.Soon after the prayers, the worshippers embraced each other and exchanged Eid greetings.