Muslims around New Zealand gathered at gymnasiums and halls this morning for prayers and a bite to eat as they marked the end of Ramadan.
After 30 days of fasting between sunrise and sunset, they spent today, known as Eid al-Fitr, visiting friends and relatives and paying their respects to the dead.
In Christchurch, where 51 Muslims lost their lives in the 15 March terror attack, the day was especially poignant.
At Pioneer Stadium about 1500 came together to mark one of the biggest days on the Muslim calendar.
Community leader, and one of those inside the Al Noor mosque at the time of the shootings, Sardar Faisal Abbas, said the day was a true celebration of life.
And he was surprised by the large turnout.
"First I thought that it might not be that much like people will try to avoid it. But no when I came in here there were a lot of people, around 1500 which is a good number. And obviously even after that incident, you can see everyone is smiling. Everyone is laughing, trying to greet everyone which is really good, which is really, really good."
There had been mixed emotions for Muslims observing the holy month, as the reality hit home that close family members were no longer there for the important moments, he said.
"Positives are that at least people are with you in this time of the year and they are supporting you which is really good. But, on the other side, it's like because the seats are empty when you're breaking fast you don't see the person that was there last year. So it was hard on the families."
Attending the mosque each night, where horrific events occurred, had been a hard but necessary part of the healing process, he said.
"The first two or three times it was really hard like I won't be able to sit there for more than five or 10 minutes. Because obviously you think about it, you hear the bullets and everything. But, as I said, things like these take time. And it will it will be easier as you go to the mosque more frequently. Ramadan was very good in the way that everybody would meet at 7pm every night... which was good because you were there you were talking to people and kind of it helps you get over it."
Another community leader, Tony Green, said the wounds from 15 March would take a long time to heal, and not all wounds could be seen.
"We are very, very mindful of the fact that, amongst us, we have people who are stressed. They talk about PTSD but there's stresses there, it's a real thing. So there's a lot of work still to be done."
Tony Green. Photo: RNZ / Conan Young
He said at times like this, peoples' faith helped to get them through.
"Whenever you hear about a discomfort or a death or something we say 'Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un' [We belong to Allah and to Allah we shall return], so that acceptance of death, the inevitability of death, and the purpose of life, that life has a purpose. It's not some flickering, flippant kind of thing, that's behind it all. So, insofar as it gives you a kind of a framework for resilience that perhaps is there, you know, that passing is not something where you beat your breast and just [ask] why why why."
Mr Green paid tribute to the resilience of the Muslim community in Christchurch.
"Obviously after March the 15th this is quite unique, sadly unique. But it's a beautiful thing that we come to this and at the same time you can't forget the people who passed on. They are in our minds, you know, they are in our minds and our hearts."
Many soft toys and gifts were left at the gates of the Al-Noor and Linwood mosques and the memorial wall following the attack. They were collected and were distributed today to children at the festival.
A small gesture from the city to remind the Muslim community that they are not alone.
