Eid ul-Adha – or as we locals like to call it, Qurbani Eid – is one of the biggest holidays in our country. It is a time meant to be spent with your loved ones and rejoice. However, it takes a lot of effort to get your home ready for the occasion. While some might think it is a one-day celebration, the joyous atmosphere usually lasts for two to three days. During this time you have to perform the Qurbani (religious sacrifice of animal), cut up & store meat, donate to the poor, cook delicious meals and entertain guests. With all the moving parts when you want to prepare your home for Eid ul-Adha holidays, it is easy to overlook certain arrangements. How prepared are you?
Buy Home Essentials
From carving up the meat to serving delicious meals to guests, a lot of small things and pieces are required to prepare your home for Eid ul-Adha. You will definitely need scales to weigh and divide the meat according to each share. Items such as choppers and knives are necessary for cutting the meat. Preparing and serving food then sees the need for great food processors and fancy plates. Finding home essential items in Dhaka is easy. However, one thing people often forget to buy is something to get rid of the smell afterwards. It is not unusual for your home to smell of meat for a few days after Eid ul-Adha. So it is good practice to keep some cleaning supplies, such as bleach, and air fresheners at hand to take care of the odour. These small items come together to play a major role when you want to prepare your home for Eid.
Clear Out the Fridge
Another aspect of Eid ul-Adha that we tend to misjudge is, how much space in the fridge is enough. The only way to store the meat for a long duration is to store it in the fridge. However, it is only the deep freezer that is capable of storing it without rotting. Some prefer to buy an additional deep freezer to meet the demand. It is a one-time purchase that is useful for many years afterwards. But if you want to stick to a single fridge, take a day to prepare it beforehand. Defrosting and clearing out everything from the fridge ensures every inch is available for the meat to come. Making an educated guess on the amount of space you need will help when the meat needs to be stored.
Ready Sacks & Packets
A big part of Eid ul-Adha is donating and gifting Qurbani meat to people. People donate meat to the poor and the needy to receive Allah’s blessings. There is also the practice of gifting it to relatives and loved ones. How do you move the meat around? Furthermore, the City Corporation of Dhaka recently introduced designated places where the Qurbani can take place. Sometimes these places can be far from your home which gives. This further gives rise to the need of something to move the meat around.
Whatever reason you need to move the meat around, you really need a lot of sacks and packets; preferably leak-proof. Packets are also very useful in keeping Qurbani meat from freezing together in the fridge. Sacks and packets are immensely convenient for handling the meat and can be purchased in great quantities if needed at the local bazaar. All in all, they are essential to prepare your home for Eid.
Clean the House
Cleaning your home is always a good idea but more so in preparation for Eid ul-Adha. People use this occasion to visit the homes of their loved ones and make memories. It is as much a part of Eid as the Qurbani itself. As a host, you want your home to be spotless. Guests feel welcome and comfortable visiting a neat and tidy house. Don’t be content with just cleaning the living and dining room. Even if you think the guest won’t enter another room, better safe than sorry. Cleaning all the rooms might seem tiresome on top of everything else to prepare your home for Eid, but it is a worthy investment of your time and effort.
Decorate the living room
Last, but not least, you need to focus on decorating the living room. Your guests’ initial exposure to your home is through the living room and it helps create the first impression. Even luxurious homes, that are capable of generating awe in people can use a little decorating before Eid ul-Adha. You can either rearrange existing home decor items or buy new ones from your preferred shop. Whatever route you choose, decorating the living room gives off the impression that you are passionate about your home and its presentation.
Preparation is a great tool to achieving smooth execution of plans. It will help you tackle any and all hassles that might appear. And with Eid ul-Adha 2018 on the horizon, it is high time to start.
