Eid is such a special time for me. With Eid being the festive time that marks the end of Ramadan and fasting, we celebrate this momentous shift as a community, with group prayers at our local mosque followed by a large dinner with family or friends and the giving of gifts and the wearing of new clothes. It is a time of gratitude for all we have learned about ourselves and Allah during the previous month, and it’s also just a lot of fun!
First, Eid day starts off with getting ready and putting on a new outfit. We like to attend Eid prayers at our local mosque bright and early so we can get a head start on festivities which in our home include a lavish brunch. A fun way to make a breakfast or a lunch feel special is through setting up an Eid tablescape. This year, I set up a simple Eid Tablescape for our Eid breakfast with spring florals and accents. I like to use all our best dishes for our Eid breakfast because if the pandemic has taught me one thing, it is that – you have to live now and treat yourself.
Our next order of business is to open an Eid present. This is a really special way I try to make Eid a special time for our family and my kids is to have lots and lots of Eid gifts! Presents make everything better right?! A great rule we have for giving presents is to buy one of each category: Want, Need, Wear, Read! Some items that my daughter received this year are a lovely dollhouse she has been wanting (want), a beautiful prayer mat (need), a new hijab (wear), and a new book (read). I buy my daughter one from each category as a family and those are her Eid gifts. I package the items in a cute basket or crate and have them ready for her on Eid morning.
After opening Eid presents and getting them set up, the next order of business is usually to take a nap before the second round of festivities or feasting begins. This usually happens with family and friends at either our house or theirs. There are more presents and delicious food. This year along with the festivities in the afternoon, we are also adding in a cute crafting activity for the young children in the family. The craft we will be making is edible mosques of course and made with supplies purchased at the grocery store including graham crackers, baton wafers, meringue cookies, icing, and chocolate. You can see how adorable it is and it is the perfect dessert after the feast that has happened.
I bet the children will enjoy this Eid along with these special activities! What are some of your family Eid traditions?
