UAE residents gear up for Eid holidays

Abu Dhabi: Residents are getting ready for the Eid al-Fitr holiday as it approaches. Eid al-Fitr is a time of prayer and thanksgiving that means a lot to Muslims around the world.

This year, Eid al-Fitr is scheduled to be celebrated on Friday (21 April) or Saturday (22 April), with the UAE’s Lunar Observational Committee meeting on Thursday 20 April to confirm the exact date.

During Eid al-Fitr, Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan by participating in numerous traditional activities. Special foods, prayers, and customs become part of holiday family traditions.

The UAE’s rich diversity and multicultural landscape presents a unique opportunity to witness many traditions. gulf news Many families were interviewed who shared the stories behind their special Eid customs.

Hiba Al Minshawi, 47, is an Egyptian special needs teacher. She is married with four children, aged 11 to 17. Ahead of Eid al-Fitr, Al Minshawi bought a beautiful outfit and shoes for herself and new clothes and shoes for her children.

She also makes salon appointments for herself. During Eid al-Fitr, Al Minshawi likes to bake a biscuit called ‘petit four’ and a shortbread called ‘ghoriba’.

“My family and I get up early to have breakfast together, and then the elders start distributing Eidiya,” Al Minshawi said.

Eidiya is a well-known Eid al-Fitr tradition in the Muslim world and is practiced by many families, including handing out money to children, and sometimes young adults, as a way of celebrating.

Later, Al Minshawi and her family went shopping and often ate out. If not, she cooks fish and all kinds of seafood.

Nathamkodan, a 35-year-old Kerala native, currently lives and works in Abu Dhabi as a driver. He is married with a seven-year-old daughter. His wife and daughter both live in Kerala.

Ahead of the holidays, Nathamkodan said he also prepared an outfit for himself to celebrate Eid.

“During Eid, the way I communicate and celebrate with my family is through videos and phone calls,” Nathamkodan told gulf news.

Afterwards, he and his friends get together to cook a special “biryani” – a rice-based high-protein dish – for Eid. For dessert, he prepared “payasam”, a vermicelli-based pudding, and neyappam, a rice-based sweet fritter.

For RoboStores CEO Aziz Al Harbi, a Saudi expatriate, Eid is a time of reflection, celebration and community. It’s time to remember the importance of faith, family and friends, and to be grateful for the blessings in your life.

“During Eid, we wear nice or new clothes and exchange gifts with loved ones. We come together to enjoy good food and each other’s company. The time you can donate something. Eid!”

Iman Huntash, 38, is a shadow teacher from Egypt. Huntash is married with five children ranging in age from 3 to 15 years old.

“Eid has a special place in my heart. I’m now shopping for Eid clothing, gifts, cakes, desserts and chocolates ahead of the holiday,” says Huntash.

“In Egypt, one of the usual rituals of Eid is to eat dates before going to prayers, and then go home to cake and tea. For lunch, we eat ‘herring’ or ‘koshari’, which is a dish of rice and pasta. main high-protein dishes,” she adds.

Huntash and her extended family visit each other during Eid and share Eidiya with the children. They also exchange gifts and distribute Zakat or alms. She and her family also attend Eid prayers.

“Our Eid rituals include visiting neighbors, walking in parks, eating out and going out for entertainment,” she said.

Samsudeen Pilakal, 28, is a driver from Kerala, India. He is married with a three-year-old daughter. His family was living in India when he moved to Abu Dhabi for work.

“I will be celebrating this Eid with my friends and housemates. Since my family is away, I won’t be able to join them, but they will be gathering at home. Of course, I will be wearing a festive white shirt and traditional Indian white wrap Leggings, called ‘dhoti’. We will be making chicken ‘biriyani’ as an Eid special and will also serve ‘payasam’,” he said.

Dr Adel Al Sisi, Chief Medical Officer and Intensive Care Unit Consultant at Prime Hospitals, said: We also teach our children the essence of Ramadan and gift them Eidi to encourage them to share and spend Ramadan successfully in the coming year.

“This year, we will entertain friends. We will prepare special dishes. We will celebrate Eid in traditional clothes. On the first day of Eid, me and the children will go to the mosque to pray. We will come back and have a big breakfast to celebrate Eid Festival.”

Kanoo Industrial and Energy marketing manager Niaz Ahmed, an Indian expatriate, said Eid al-Fitr is the culmination of the holy month. “It’s a time to celebrate, meet family, friends and enjoy a delicious meal. Children look forward to it to collect monetary gifts called Eidi.”

Ahmed said that in the UAE, his family’s first day of Eid began with morning prayers. “We had a big breakfast with our family. Later, we got together with friends and cooked special Eid food together. In the evening we went out to visit friends. However, back in India, the celebration was different because the whole day There were loads of tourists coming home. Breakfast, lunch and dinner was spent with all close friends and family.”

This year, Ahmad ushered in a special Eid al-Fitr. “My parents come to see us. We’ll make memories with our friends.”