The Eid is meeting of loved ones. Every traveler and expatriate returns to celebrate the Eid with his family in his country. In the Eid, all families gather and visit each other and exchange congratulations and have bitter Arabic coffee with some sweet desserts. This is one of the Eid rituals in the morning.
All people go to the Eid prayer in the mosque. It's a special prayer for Eid after sunrise. We wear new clothes and joy reigns in our homes.
I have not felt this joy since I left Syria. Life and holidays are no longer as they used to be because now the family is scattered, and relatives and neighbours are not near by. But the most important thing about Eid is the joy of the children. They wake up very early in the morning filled with Happiness. They wear their beautiful new clothes. They go to receive Eid monetary presents and give greetings. Of course each child who says Eid Mubarak to you means you will greet and give him/her some sweets and a small sum of money called Eidiyeah. This is a necessary thing. Otherwise, they will be sad and make you feel guilty. Of course, Eidiyeah is also for adults for example the father gives a small sum of money to his daughters, mother etc.
At home, the whole family gather with the children and we cook many delicious foods, because in our country sometimes we had 20 people for lunch. I hope in the coming holidays I will be with my family as we used to do before. Eid al-Fitr is very important for Muslims. Happy Eid (kul am uw antum be alf bekhair).
Nahed is originally from Homs in Syria and we’re glad to say has recently joined the Refugee Cafe team. You can read more about Nahed’s story on our blog.
