01 October 2009
Eid Observances in America Share Common Theme of Family
Eid festivities revolve around family, faith, food and children
Washington — When asked about Eid al-Fitr — the traditional end to the monthlong observance of Ramadan — Muslim Americans often commented about a simple accident of the calendar. This year, Eid fell on a regular weekend holiday, Sunday, which permitted many of them to celebrate more fully than when the holiday falls on a regular day of the week.
On the other hand, many of the rituals and traditions of Eid remain the same for Muslims throughout the United States, especially the focus on celebrating with family and friends.
WAFIKA ALBANI
Wafika Albani fondly recalls the Eid celebrations in her native Syria. “It was so different — we were able to celebrate all three days of Eid, because it is a holiday there. The first day starts with prayers, and then we visit family,” she said. “I would visit my parents and my husband’s parents. You visit whoever is the oldest in the family first. And the tradition in Syria is that, before visiting anyone, you take flowers and go visit the graves of loved ones and read verses of the Quran.
“There are many mosques in Syria, so we could pray at the mosque. All the streets have festivities — like a carnival. There are swings, rides in the street, and foods like popcorn, cotton candy, fava beans and chickpeas.”
Today, as a community liaison and Arabic interpreter with the Fairfax County public schools in northern Virginia, Albani finds herself trying to continue many of those traditions as a wife and mother of two daughters — Sarah, 18, and Farah, 16.
“We were able to do more this year because Eid fell on Sunday,” Albani said. “We went to the high school to pray with other Muslims, where they had three shifts of prayers. The prayers were followed by a speaker who reminded us how to benefit from fasting. The idea is to feel what less fortunate people feel. Unless you have the pinch in the stomach and the thirst in the throat, you can’t really understand another person’s experience.”
“After prayers, we had our first breakfast in a month. At the high school, there were different areas. In an area for young children, there were activities like a Moon Bounce, face-painting and balloons. In another place, there was a kind of bazaar, where you could buy books and clothes, prayer rugs and homemade items.
“There was food in the school cafeteria. We had mini-pies with cheese and spinach and meat — rice, chicken and lamb. Another section, the Moroccan area, offered croissants, cupcakes, candy, juice and water.
“Later in the day we visited friends and family, and we made international phone calls to people we couldn’t be with. Then we went with my brother and family to a restaurant.”
Albani notes that Eid celebrations in the United States can occur after the actual holiday. “People hold parties when time allows,” she explained, “because they often have to work during Eid.”
IYAD HINDI
For Iyad Hindi, a manager with the consumer technology firm Sony Ericsson in Raleigh, North Carolina, Eid was an opportunity to attend prayer services at a new mosque for the expanding Muslim community.
Otherwise, his Eid observances were quite traditional. In the morning, he took his parents and family to prayer services, followed by a breakfast with his family back at home. His children — two girls and a boy — went off to visit their friends and go bowling. The family exchanged gifts following the evening dinner.
“When the kids were younger, we gave them toys,” Hindi said. Today, however, he has one daughter in college and the other two children in high school. “Now, it’s ‘give me money, Dad,’” he said with a laugh.
But Hindi has taken the opportunity of Eid to continue his efforts at outreach and interaction with his neighbors. Last year, during Eid, he helped sponsor an outdoor neighborhood party, with traditional sweets and other foods, and even an inflatable Moon Bounce for children.
During Ramadan, he invited over families for the evening dinner who had never been in a Muslim household. “They were so tense and didn’t know what to expect at the beginning,” Hindi said. “By the end of the evening, they didn’t want to leave.”
This year, his family boxed up sweets for his children’s high school teachers as a thank-you on the occasion of Eid.
The exchange of visits with his neighbors is continuing. “It may not seem like a lot,” Hindi said, “but I think it’s important to keep reaching out on a personal level.”
SYED ASIF HUSSEIN
Eid is “a day of celebration and happiness” for Syed Asif Hussain and his wife and three sons, who are 22, 19, and 13 years old. Their middle son is serving in the U.S. Navy.
Their Eid ritual is a traditional one of morning prayers at their mosque in Virginia, followed by foods from Pakistan at home.
“On this day, we normally begin our day with sweet dishes — especially sivayyan — vermicelli boiled in milk, sugar and dates.
“For lunch, we have dishes that are considered very delicious in Pakistan, including pulao, a rice dish, and korma, a rich and spicy curry and kabaab.”
Like other Muslims, Hussain sets aside a certain amount of money to give to poor and deserving people. “If you know someone who is deserving, you can give it directly,” he explained, “or you can give it to the mosque to distribute.”
His family also follows the tradition of giving gifts, usually money, to the children.
“Generally, we celebrate Eid by inviting friends and relatives to enjoy our special foods for lunch, and some days, for dinner.” Wearing new and fancy clothes add to the atmosphere of festivity for the family.
Learn more about and discuss religious traditions in the United States at the America.gov blog Talking Faith.
