So maybe I’m being hormonal, but do most (not all folks) people in the West make Ramadan and Eids special enough for them to even stick out more than Christmas?
I am sick of seeing Christmas catalogues and decorations. Christian folk put so much effort into things. The Muslim stores where I live don’t bother getting into the festive mood which is a major let down. They even put up prices on things like corriander! What’s that all about?!
So what do you do to make Eid and Ramadan special?
My little one will InshAllah be nearer 3 next Ramadan and I’m cautious that I need to be building clear Ramadan and Eid memories possibly by creating our own traditions etc. The question is what should I be doing?
Looking back on my childhood, and no Eids stick out apart from the ones during which I went Drayton Manor Park with my cousins. That’s quite a sad thought.
So far on my list I have:
decorate with decorations such as Lights
make Eid signs and cards with little one
make Ramadan cupcakes to give friends and family
put effort into gifts for all the family
Re: Families/parents in the west what do you think?
Yes , you are very right there .. I know alot of families here who go through the exact same thing ..
Some of the positive things that I have seen some ladies do in my social circle:
Pack up gifts along with the kids for the family and divide some meetha in small food boxes .. On Eid day, the families drop by each others homes for just a few seconds like as in “eid milna” and let the kids hand them over the sweet box
Go for Eid prayer as a family .. this really helps
For Ramadan , do Taraweeh nights , either at the mosque or invite a few ladies over at home and do the Taraweeh together
Go out for Iftar meal, that would serve as a perfect family outing plus leave happy memories
A friend of mine maintains full Ramadan decorum at home during Ramadan , like when its meal time for the kids, she asks them to eat quietly and quickly coz its not good manners to eat infront of rozadaars .. her kids are so cute they go along telling everyone this during Ramadan
Invite families for Iftar parties , these create some really good memories and make Ramadan feel special.
Dress up well on Eid day and definitely plan a day out as Eid special
Get kids to make their own Eid cards for their closest friends
Do celebrate the second and the third day or Eid .. I remember when I was a kid my dadajee would tell me Eid is not just one day but three days and I would ask him if that meant I could get ready in new dresses all three days? he would say yes and I would be over the moon !
Get kids on the phone to wish the relatives back home Eid Mubarak
Re: Families/parents in the west what do you think?
omg i oticed the price hike thing as wel in a month were ur suppose to have ;ike special offers on etc the prices become so high not only food but also on clothes..
Re: Families/parents in the west what do you think?
Ceo1-come on now I’m looking for advice and tips not a walk down memory lane!
Zayma-it’s silly I know but it would be nice if retailers cut us some slack during festive periods so we spend more.
CB-I love the idea of sweet distribution. Hows about homemade candy or cookies? My little one should InshAllah be able to punch out some cookies and erm decorate them to the best of her toddler abilities InshAllah.
A lot of my non-desi friends have the following traditions which do you think I could adapt to fit in with our way of life (PS, I do not wish to copy non Muslims, I’m simply looking at ways of adding sparkle to my festivities l:
midnight mass-well we prayer daily but how do we make seeing the Eid chaand more religious rather than traditional? I’m sure a wise person out there will be able to point me in the direct of a dua to recite (will google in a min).
they all get a ‘pack’ the night before their festivities which contains pajamas, a small soft toy/other type of present. They also put up last minute decorations as a family.
They eat out on Xmas eve (me like this!)
They also host xmas day supper, as they go to their other family members homes for dinner during the day. I cannot do this, as I don’t have any family around and all the friends I have do have family of their own to cater for.
Re: Families/parents in the west what do you think?
As a family, its a given that we will be spending the day together so no one makes plans to be anywhere else.
Usually, we wake up early, have a light nashta of mom’s sevaiyyan, get dressed up and go to Eid namaz.
After Eid namaz, its tradition to go out for brunch together. We usually book a spot somewhere a day or two in advance. Then, its back to the house for presents.
In the evening, we all go out for a movie. In our area, there’s always a new release on Eid day so we see a lot of families out too. Its fun.
Re: Families/parents in the west what do you think?
Too bad I don’t like making friends…I always have a boring eid in UK. Even in Pakistan I don’t remember being happy on eid since my mother passed away.
I have tried making eid fun for my kids but have failed as inlaws are even more boring than me…decorating the house and inviting guests is not possible since the house is in constant repair.
Re: Families/parents in the west what do you think?
Oh Hareem sorry you feel that way. Maybe one day you will enjoy Eid a bit more InshAllah?
Reha-sadly we don’t have many placed nearby that offer brunch services or else that would be ace. Only family I have is Mum, husband and little one. One of mums cousins lives nearby but that’s it.
Re: Families/parents in the west what do you think?
Honestly, make your own traditions. That’s what we did and its an ever changing thing too.
Have fun with it. There was one family I knew of…they were not desi or Muslim but they had a tradition - every year they had one day of chocolate-y craziness. It was so cute.
Another family I know if has an annual bake-a-thon. They bake cakes, cupcakes, anything that can be baked, etc.
Last year, my sister had a cookie party at my mom’s house. Everyone bought cookies they made and people sampled each other’s cookies.
Re: Families/parents in the west what do you think?
My kids look forward to Eid time the most. Eid ul Fitr is always spent with family in a different city. But Eid ul Adha is spent locally with friends circle.
We are very fortunate to have a good mix of arabs and Pakistanis here. They organise a big event of Eid activities. We start off with Eid prayers, then we enjoy sweets and deserts that everyone brings in. After that they have children’s games. All children are given an Eid gift. It all ends with an Eid lunch!
This Eid, the juma prayers were also included into the event.
I think more people should organise such events, especially in areas where most people don’t have big families…
