Though North Korea’s strict COVID-19 pandemic measures have barred North Korea’s shrinking expat community from most social gatherings since Jan. 2020, a special exception was made last week for the Muslim celebration of Eid al-Fitr.

Held at the Rahman Mosque of Pyongyang, worshippers from a range of embassies in North Korea gathered for a festive ceremony and outdoors buffet meal, pictures released Thursday on the Russian embassy in Pyongyang’s Facebook account show.

And while diplomatic staff numbers in North Korea have dropped significantlysince the outbreak of COVID-19, pictures showed that around 30 worshippers gathered for the Eid celebration,