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Citizens and expats gather with friends and family to make the most of the holidays
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For Emirati Mohammed AlMuhsen, the day is all about his family. “Usually the next day, we have breakfast at home with my dad,” he said.
“Then we will visit some of our family members and neighbors. We will also welcome guests to our home.”
For Mohammad, however, his favorite part of the day is spending quality time with his children. “After the Zuhr prayers (afternoon prayers), it’s family time. We have lunch and then go out with the kids. Outside, we help the kids choose what they want to buy with the Eidiya money we collect from friends and family on the first day Gifts. It’s one of my favorite things to do during Eid. It’s great to see the kids counting the money and then excitedly deciding what toy to buy.”
For British-Moroccan couple Grant Randall and Sofia, the second day of Eid was a day of dressing up with sons Hunter, 4, and Saxon, 2. “The first day, we spent time at the beach with the kids,” Grant said.
“They wanted to play in the sea and build sand castles. We thought the second day might be crowded because that’s when everyone usually goes out. So we took them on the first day of Eid, after prayers.”
Dressed in traditional attire, they took photos and sent them to family members at home. “It can be a bit lonely when your family isn’t around,” he said.
“But we try to do our best. We dress up and take pictures, or rather, we try to because it’s very difficult to get the boys to pose. We’ll probably go somewhere at night.”
Long Trip
For Indian expats Shiyaz Iqbal and Hina, the next day was their opportunity for a long drive and time with friends. “On the first day, we had lunch with my brother and his family,” Shiyaz said.
“The next day we headed to Abu Dhabi to spend time with my childhood friend. We’ve known each other since we were kids. We grew up together and every Eid we try to spend at least one day together.”
The couple planned to travel from Abu Dhabi to Al Ain Zoo with other friends. “Our kids are young and they love the zoo, so we go there at night,” Hina said.
“I think it’s going to be crowded, but we plan to play it by ear. If it gets too crowded, we might change our plans and go to Jebel Hafeet. We’re with friends, so it doesn’t really matter where we go because as long as we’re together, we’ll Will be very happy.”
Filipino couple Hashim and Rayhanah Guinomla also decided to make the long drive to Abu Dhabi with visiting family. “My husband’s parents and his sister are here, so we decided to check out some tourist destinations,” Rayhanah said.
“We’ve covered Qasr Al Watan and we’re now heading to the Louvre.”
According to Rayhanah, this is the second year her in-laws have spent Ramadan and Eid in the UAE. “Here, Ramadan and Eid are different,” she said.
“It’s been a beautiful spiritual journey, so we’re delighted to have them here during this holy month.”
The new moon marking the end of Ramadan was spotted in the UAE on Thursday, April 20. The first day of Eid al-Fitr 2023 is Friday 21 April. Residents will have 4 days off to celebrate Islamic holidays.
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