A look at Eid-ul-Fitr Day in my family鈥 showcase of this joyous Muslim celebration intertwined with our 91原创 and Guyanese backgrounds. Eid-ul-Fitr literally means the Festival of Feasts as it celebrates the end of fasting and the time of feasting!
The sky looks like an artist鈥檚 canvass, a display of every hue of colour humanly possible. But it is even more than that; it is a sunset of celebration signalling the end of Ramadaan and the arrival of Eid-ul-Fitr. As my family sits down to break our final day of fasting, we are filled with emotions. Anyone who is not a small child is on the verge of exhaustion, while the children are ecstatic imagining what presents they will get.
A day from the Islamic perspective starts at sunset, so officially Eid has started. Tonight there will be no Taraweeh (special nightly prayers) as Ramadaan is over. But with the Eid gears greased and spinning, there is no time to notice the change. The kitchen is filled with the smells of baked goodies and marinating meats, while the rest of the house is strewn with decorations. My brother is outside on a ladder trying to untangle the fairy lights and get them up onto the balcony while the rest of us are hanging streamers from the roof, sorting out the party letters to make the Eid Mubaarak signs, and attaching dangling spirals from the roof- all the while hoping that none will fall on the guests鈥� heads like it did last year. After years of this routine, we know that the chaotic mess will turn into a beautifully decorated house by midnight!
The younger children go to bed a little earlier than usual as tomorrow will be an early morning. The rest of the family makes sure their clothes is all ironed and then join in the kitchen to get the endless lists of foods ready for tomorrow. Black fruitcake and vermicelli are Guyanese specialties that cannot be absent from an Eid day, but cheesecake, trifle, and chocolate cake are the favourites of the majority of people.
By 6 am the next morning, my mother is already waking the house up. It is time to shower and pull on all the new and freshly ironed clothes. By 8:30, my father is announcing that we鈥檙e running late (again) and might miss the prayer and sermon.
The Eid Salah/prayer and sermon is one of the most important parts of Eid. Every single person comes, even those who are never seen again until the next Eid again. It is a huge community gathering and the Imam tries to capitalise on this in the sermon by touching on every major issue that is relevant to the community. The sermon usually ends with a prayer for the community as well as the people who are suffering around the world. Some services will have refreshments and a little social after; others will organize an entire day filled with midway rides and food.
My family leaves after a little socialising and we head back home. The finishing touches are made on very dish, and we all have a hearty lunch. Our afternoon is usually spent in either of two ways. One, we travel through the city attending family gatherings hosted by my father鈥檚 and mother鈥檚 side of the family respectively. (Note: this way is the most fun-filled option.) These are usually held in the afternoons as a number of people find it difficult to take a full day off from work to celebrate this holiday. Or two, we host the dinner party and everyone comes over to our house. Nevertheless, the Eid parties will usually last until midnight, although they often go on much later than that!
But regardless of when they finish, the day (or night) has one more highlight that everyone has been waiting for: presents, presents, and even more presents. My parents will sit in front of a heap of presents handing them out to each one of us kids. Then wrapping paper starts flying and the cries for batteries begin, signalling the arrival of another season of new toys. (More recently, my siblings and I have begun buying my parents actual presents as well鈥 small token of love.)
Eid is one of the two major Islamic celebrations, and it centers around God and family. For many new immigrants to Canada and other countries, friends fill in (as best as they can) the roles that family would have played during this joyous occasion. And as Muslims come from every corner of the globe, their ways of celebrating represent an equal diversity. The prayers and sermons are usually the same, although the sermon language may be in a language other than English. However, the gatherings that follow vary widely in styles and details, although the laughter and excitement are the same everywhere-anywhere in the world. 聽
Maryam Baksh is a student at the University of British Columbia, and lives with her family in 91原创
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