The word ‘Eid’ is not only synonymous with family gatherings and delicious Kahk; it is also synonymous with ‘El 3edeya’ (a tradition that dictates that the older members of the family give a sum of money of their choosing to the younger members). With this particular tradition comes a list of the different types of 3edeya givers, and here they are.
The uncle that expects you to build him a statue
We all have that one family member – usually an uncle – who makes you feel like you owe him your life for giving you 3edeya.
Indeed, he starts demanding that all the family’s children line up in order from eldest to young, he starts asking you to get him a bottle of water before he gives you 3edeya, and he starts calling himself the best uncle and applauding himself for how generous he is (regardless of the some of money he has actually given you).
Elba5eel (the frugal one)
This one is also usually an uncle; while the aforementioned uncle will make you feel like he is the best, this one will knows he is the worst, and he is okay with it. Our shared experience tells us that this is usually the youngest one of your uncles; he still feels like he is young enough to not be expected to give a 3edeya, and he has no shame.
The excessively generous one
This family member is usually just extra, about everything. He/she is that one persona who usually brings an insane amount of ka7k to Eid family gatherings. He/she is also just too in love with Eid, and everything about Eid; from the new clothes to the plays that air on TV every single Eid, he/she is just an Eid guru, and his/her generous spirit is just an extension of that.
The creative frugal souls
This is different from the aforementioned normal frugal family members; these ones are actually ashamed of being frugal, and so they come up with the most of creative – or not so creative – of escape mechanisms once its time to distribute el 3edeya.
From disappearing to the bathroom for hours, to getting a sudden call from his/her friends, and finally to giving you a total sum of 20 L.E. broken down into 5 L.E. notes to make it seem like they gave you a large sum of money; these people offend us with their frugality and their lack of creativity.
The one person who says you are too old for 3edeya
While this person is not frugal at all, he just stops giving you 3edeya once he/she hears that you are employed. I really do not understand those who believe that we somehow don’t need the money because we are employed adults; we need the money more than ever now that we are adults.
The one who gives you a forced and expected throwback
After this person gives you the 3edeya, he/she usually gives you a lecture in Egypt’s political – economy. Indeed, he/she tells you how he/she used to get 5 piasters and how Pepsi used to cost a single piaster, and how he/she just used to spend the money on small toys because outings were not really a big thing back then.
The one person, more like all of us, who just won’t accept the fact that we are required to give 3edeya
We are in denial, we are only in our early and mid-20s, we are not even married nor do we have kids, we were just in college yesterday, so no we won’t give your kids 3edeya, because we have made peace with the fact that we are still kids. You should too, and stop with any expectation that asks us to give 3edeya to anyone.