When I first came to Paris, none of the Muslims I met (and there were a lot, because Paris small stores are often owned by Muslims, and even my children's establishment-Catholic school had Muslim parents and assistants), no one much observed Ramadan. Most Muslims were pretty secular and even people who were religious would talk about how "my mother" observed it, but they didn't "because I live in France."
Looking back, I think it was after 9/11 that French Muslims became more obviously observant, probably as a result of anti-Muslim prejudice at the time. Anyway, Ramadan is something that most Parisians notice nowadays. The Muslims you are dealing with can't eat or drink and get cranky more easily, and Ramadan, which is a movable month of fasting even from water, is much harder on a long hot summer day than on a short winter's day.
So everyone is happy today. No longer is the cashier grumpy if you buy a pastry and nibble it in front of him; no longer is your Egyptian friend grouchy from caffeine withdrawal; no longer is the taxi driver peevish because he's been working all day with no food or drink. New Yorkers of every religion are aware of all the Jewish holidays; it's like that in Paris with Eïd al-Fitr. So Happy Eïd, everyone!
