With the holy month of Ramadan coming to an end, hundreds and thousands of Muslims in Egypt are gearing up for the big celebration of Eid el-Fitr.
Eid is a celebration that is done to mark the end of Ramadan, making it a joyous occasion for many around the world.
How Eid el-Fitr is celebrated
In Islam, there are two major Eid’s that are celebrated: Eid el-Fitr, which is the ‘festival of breaking the fast’ signifying the end of Ramadan; and, Eid el-Adha, which translates to the ‘festival of sacrifice’ relating to the Hajj and acknowledging prophet Abraham’s sacrifice of the sheep in place of prophet Ishmael.
Many Egyptians believe that Eid is a reward for those that have struggled through the Ramadan month right through to the end. Eid el-Fitr is normally a feast that takes places for over three days, where in Egypt it is now classed as an official holiday.
To start off their Eid celebrations, many Egyptians visit the mosque to pray a special prayer – this prayer reminds them of the good deeds they have performed during the Ramadan month, and to also make sure that from here on now, they perform good deeds to people that need them the most. Afterwards, friends; neighbours and relatives start their meet and greets with each other, often relaying the greeting ‘Eid Mubarak’ translating to ‘have a blessed Eid’.
During the meet and greets Egyptians usually offer sweets made especially for the celebration – they are either homemade or shop bought. On the first day of Eid, the family visits are seen as the most important; this is so that the rest of the days can be spent going to parks; cinemas; beaches, some even go all out and engage in tours around the Nile, and as years go by, Sharm El Sheik is becoming a popular spot for many Egyptians to celebrate Eid.
Told by an Egyptian herself - How Aliaa celebrates Eid
Aliaa Abdou, a 14 year old living in Egypt told us how she likes to celebrate Eid: “When Eid is here it is a time for me and my sisters to go out and buy new clothes, we always like to dress nice for Eid because it is such a happy occasion. We all dress up, and then all our family including the children will go to visit relatives and then go to play in the parks. A tradition we have in Eid is old relatives give money to the children to make sure they are happy in life.”
Eid is a time for big family gatherings from the cooking to eating all kinds of Egyptian foods; to the travelling from village to village visiting. Whatever it is, this makes it the busiest time of year for Egypt’s highways and trains. Flocks of people from all over the country flood in to make sure their Eid is spent with their loves ones.
Whether you’re preparing an Eid celebration of you own or you’re simply fascinated by how it all works; enjoy it. Eid Mubarak everyone!
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