Before Christmas, there was Eid. That’s not to say I don’t celebrate eid anymore, now that I live in Canada, it’s just that you don’t get to have the same connection to the holiday when everyone surrounded by you doesn’t know about Eid and is too busy thinking about Christmas every year. I do love Christmas. I love any holiday that brings people together, with hugs, dinner parties, presents and ugly sweaters.
Though we have two different Celebrations of Eid, Eid-ul-Fitr is the more festive one. Eid is about being thankful for all that you have, as it starts at the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting for Muslims. The whole point of the fasting is to have empathy for those who don’t have much and learn to be more patient and persistent. So then when we’re celebrating Eid-ul-.fitr, with our new clothes and jewelry, and having a blast with family and friends, we have a new sense of gratefulness every time. In the country I’m from, Pakistan, this Eid is usually called “meethi Eid,” meaning “sweet Eid.”
I grew up in a small city in Sindh called Hyderabad, the “Lion City.” I remember the nights just before the big day. The city bazaars lit up at night, bustling with families trying to buy as many clothes and jewelry for themselves, their own children and their little nieces and nephews. In Pakistan, most shops don’t close until eleven, one of the things I really miss.
The day of Eid is determined by the moon. The celebrations begin only after the sighting of a new crescent moon in the evening sky
ushering in the next month after Ramadan.
Then, of course, who could forget the Eid prayer that is done with the new clothes we wear. After the prayer is finished, we would all hug each other and wish an Eid Mubarak to everyone.
Later the festivities would begin. There would be people’s houses just crowded with family and Friends and little kids running around crazy (and breaking things) to talk and eat scrumptious food. A lot of times me and my friends would just meet up at one of our houses, all dressed up to eat and talk and laugh about things. We would also exchange Eid greeting cards as well.
If you were lucky, and if your relatives and friend’s parents thought you were cute enough and deserving, you would get a gift in the form of cash called an“Eidi.” Otherwise, as you grow older, you’ll notice you’re getting way less of that Eidi.
After growing up with Eid, and celebrating Christmas with friends now here in Canada, all of this makes me realize now that though Eid is much distinct from Christmas, it still maintains the same human principles. Both celebrations bring us together. Both are festive and full of cheer. Last but not least, both show that no matter how different we are, we all strive for togetherness, love, and peace upon ourselves and everyone else.
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