Eid
Image by Sidhik Keerantakath from Pixabay
We have two main holidays in Islam: Eid Al Fitr, and Eid Al Adha. Eid Al Fitr is coming up in a week inshallah. It marks the end of the Holy Month of Ramadan, a month of fasting and worship. Eid is our gift from Allah (God) to celebrate and give thanks for the blessing of Ramadan. I have talked about Ramadan here and here.
Eid day starts early in the morning as the sun starts to rise. It is tradition in Islam to eat a date first thing in the morning. We dress in our best clothes and go to the mosque for Eid prayers. It is tradition to go to the mosque one way and come home another. Part of Eid Al Fitr is Zakaat Al Fitr, zakat is a type of charity. The idea is for those who can afford zakat, give to the poor so the poor can celebrate Eid too. It is given either the last couple of days of Ramadan or the morning of Eid before prayers.
We go to Eid prayers with my mother in law and meet my two brothers in law and their families at the mosque. I have a tradition of taking a photo of my kids together before we leave for prayers. I love seeing their sleepy faces and how much they grow each year. Last year my oldest was in London during Eid Al Adha, a reminder of how fast they grow! I know they won’t always be home for Eid morning photos.
Eid prayer is a short prayer followed by two short sermons. After the sermons the kids both give and receive candies, small gifts and money. It is always a pleasure to see all the little girls and boys dressed up on Eid morning. People from different backgrounds and authenticities gathered together to celebrate. We always have a basket of candies with us for my kids to give out. We started a tradition way back to give lollipops in cute lollipop holders. I used to print them and cut them out. Last year I found some store-bought ones. This year I completely forgot, maybe I’ll have time to make some this week.
After prayers, my two brothers in law and their families come home with us and join us for breakfast. Then they all go home and everyone rests. We gather again for lunch with the rest of my husband’s extended family.
I’ve mentioned how we throw a party for the kids after lunch. Every year, we choose a different theme. This year we are doing Under the Sea again. We’re running out of themes and my kids don’t remember the detail of the first party in 2014. I’ll make a separate post about the party details inshallah.
A tradition I started with my daughter during Eid 2020 was giving the adults little boxes of chocolates. The first year I printed and made my own boxes and labels. Then I found a shop that sold beautiful, reasonably priced boxes. I now own a label printer and print the names.
We also make goody bags for the kids in the family. I make sure everything is dairy & egg free because we have a child in the family with allergies.
Throughout the day family and friends will stop by to celebrate Eid with us. It is tradiotn in most Arabic countries to serve coffee and sweets. Here in Saudi Arabia we serve Saudi coffee, dates, chocolates and mamoul; a type of cookie stuffed with dates. Every family will have their own special traditions. My mother in law makes the most delicious mamoul. My mother makes delicate walnut cookies that are light and buttery and disolve in your mouth. I will try to share some recipes here on my blog. Honstly, I’ve still got bakers block and haven’t been very motivated to bake.
The first day of Eid is a full day for us but it’s a very special day of family and friends.
Eid is a three-day holiday. The second day we usually go to my husband’s sister’s houses in the evening for a short visit to celebrate Eid with them individually. Sometimes we get together later at one house. Sometimes we go home for a quiet night together. The third day is different every year. We might go out and do something fun as a family or with relatives.
With only a week left for Eid, I’m almost ready. We leave baking for last of course. We’ve made (colored) most of the decorations. I’m planning on starting decorating the house for Eid this week. Follow me on Instagram and Pinterest for some sneak peaks.