Eid al-Fitr 2021

Doesn’t Eid al-Fitr always makes you chuckle a little? Because no matter what year it is, the same two challenges always present themselves!

 Challenge 1:

Every year the same question arises, ‘is Eid going to be on the 29th or the 30th day? Let us be honest, would it really be Eid al-Fitr if the Muslim world did not go through the same conundrum year in and year out?

In my family, the night of the 28th fast never changes. The Maghrib athan goes off, and we reach over for the dates to break our fast. As we do so, we eagerly look over to the TV to see if THE announcement has been made. Has the moon been sighted?

If there is no news announcement, then we quickly pick up our phones to check our second source of information, our WhatsApp chats with our trusted and most beloved WhatsApp aunties and uncles!

Eventually we find out, yes, in fact tomorrow is Eid, or no it is not and we have to fast another day and off we go to pray taraweeh. If Eid is in fact tomorrow, then here our second challenge arises!

Challenge 2:

You see, breakfast is my absolute favorite meal of the day. I love waking up on Eid day knowing I am going to have the biggest and best breakfast there is! I am talking about, blaleet with eggs, khbz rgag with cheese, pancakes, granola and greek yogurt, raqaq, khameer, coffee and fresh juice! The list goes on and on! As always, I sit down eagerly with my knife and fork to hand, and begin to indulge. However, to my absolute dismay, my stomach has shrunk and I can only eat a fraction of what my heart desired. The funny thing is all breakfast lovers like myself, never learn our lesson!

And it is only once we (or shall I say, I?) get passed these two conundrums that the celebrations really begin. We get dressed up, put henna on, and eagerly distribute and in some cases collect our eidiyas!

But most importantly, we are presented with an opportunity to share these festivities with our families and loved ones. And by the grace of God, I have been blessed with two families – my blood but also each of you, who have taught me, stood by me and inspired me over the years we have worked together.

While I may not physically be with you today, please know my heart and thoughts are.

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Shamma Bint Sohail