After the month long of sunrise-to-sunset fasting, Eid-ul-Fitr is finally here. When translated from Arabic, Eid-ul-Fitr literally means ‘festival of the breaking the fast’. This event is one of the two most important occasions in the Muslim calendar. Like every year, Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated on the first day of the month of Shawwal. Unlike the Gregorian calendar, the Islamic or the Hijri calendar sets events based on the movements of the moon rather than the sun. Every year around 1.6 billion Muslims celebrate Eid together. The day of Eid is confirmed upon the sighting of the moon which is decided by the local governing religious body. So, to make your day extra joyous, read below to know about Eid celebrations and things you can do on Eid day with your loved ones.
Applying Henna
From little girls to women of all ages, everyone looks forward to this age-old tradition the night before Eid. Applying Henna on Chaand Raat is one of the few things accustomed with Eid celebrations. A majority of city dwellers buy Henna tubes from shopping malls while people from rural areas collect henna leaves and make a paste which they later apply on their hands. The darker it comes out, the better!
Making your home Eid-proof
Does it even feel like Eid if your house has no trace of extravagant decorations? Decorating your home for Eid is a big part of celebrating this occasion. Eid lasts three days and in this period, we meet a lot of people. So it’s only normal that we give our home an Eid makeover! One of my favorite memories of Eid growing up was visiting houses of friends and family right after finishing the Eid salat.
Not only decorations but assorted sweets and delicacies can also be seen spread out for feasting! Seeing various special kinds of food laid out on the dining table is a common scene. With good food and good company, what else do you need?
Since we are talking about decorations, here’s a pro tip: set up the perfect backdrop this Eid! All of us want to look back on the memories of the best of the times we’ve had. So why not make it extra special? Plus, you can get the children involved during the making of the backdrop so that they feel included. While you’re at it, make the backdrop a designated Eid-y station where children can collect their Salaami. For children, receiving Salaami is a big part of their Eid celebrations.
Attending Eid salat
One of the biggest crowds of the year can be seen at mosques and at Eidgah during Eid prayers. For instance, last year almost 140,000 Muslims were spotted attending the Eid prayer at the Small Heath Park in Birmingham, Britain. Our very own National Eidgah gets around 100,000 attendees on Eid day, including many women. The congregation starts as early as 7 AM. After they are done praying, people hug and embrace each other to greet Eid Mubarak. Men can be seen in festive clothing such as Panjabis because people tend to present their best selves during this time.
Visiting our loved ones
Eid is all about rejoicing on the occasion with our friends and family. It is dictated to forget all our sorrows, feuds and problems with one another and to celebrate this special, even if for a day. However, sometimes that can be difficult for more realistic reasons. People who go to visit their families in their hometown find it very difficult to travel since a lot of people are home-bound during this time of the year. As a result, they have to face a lot of traffic, congestion and overcrowded conditions. However, at the end of the day, being at home makes all of the hassle worth it.
What are your plans for Eid celebrations? Let us know in the comment section below!
