An Inside Look Into Four Arab Family Traditions During Eid Al Adha

Eid El Adha, dubbed the “Big Eid” for its higher dosage of holiness, is celebrated every year in households around the world. Some families like to stick to traditions and celebrate the holiday literally by the book, with a typical itinerary including Eid prayer and the purchase of new clothes. Others prefer to not celebrate it at all.  Every family is unique, and these four families are definitely not an exception!

A Celebration Seeped in History

Nancy Fouad, a 58-year-old Egyptian mother of two, is probably the biggest fan of Eid. Her love of Eid began several years back, 25 years to be exact. Back then, Egypt’s North Coast, Sahel was just at its infancy, with some of the first few villages dotting the area, El Mohandeseen Village being one of them. The story begins with a group of four men, the heads of the Mohandeseen Union, who decided to buy a plot of land from an Arab family.

How does this link to Nancy? Well, the head of this union is actually her aunt’s husband. Once El Mohandeseen village was developed, it sort of became a family establishment with Nancy, her cousins and other relatives buying villas and chalets within the village. Nancy bought her chalet when her eldest son was just 4 years old. And ever since then, that entire family would gather together at the house of Nancy’s aunt to celebrate Eid. Once her aunt passed away, for four years, Eid was celebrated at Nancy’s chalet.

Every year, the festivities would begin 3 days before Eid with Nancy donning her apron and preparing everything from kofta, sujuk to her famous feta, all to be grilled on the first day of Eid. This mighty feast, believe it or not, is eaten during breakfast. Well, more like brunch. It deserves to be dubbed “Breakfast of Champions”. At around1 pm, the entire family, including Nancy’s husband, two sons and several of her cousins and their kids would arrive on a rather empty, impatient stomach. Minutes later, following the meal, every couch would be strewn with victims of a hefty food coma. The culprit being garlic as Nancy likes to use a gracious amount in her cooking.

After a much-needed caffeine boost, everyone would head to the beach till sunset. When they return, they would somehow have space for Nancy’s famous Roz Bil Laban, a popular Egypt desert dish.

Throughout this special day, a large smile would be planted on Nancy’s face as she would admire her family enjoying her food, having a laugh and reminiscing on the past. To her, this is what Eid is all about. Family is everything. That is why she can’t believe that there was a moment when she was about to lose it all.  One time, she was about to sell the chalet. She remembers that day very clearly. With such a big history, the village’s years were starting to take a toll on the buildings’ infrastructure. Everything was starting to deteriorate. Despite all this, she knew she couldn’t let go. Tears in her sons’ eyes made the decision all the more easier and she ended up keeping the family house.

So, here’s to many more years of food, memories and family for Nancy and her loved ones!

Mosques, Hotels and Manaqeesh: Eid with a Twist

Since 2005, Reem Samy, an Egyptian student and her family moved to Sharjah, turning it into their new home. With the rest of her relatives back in Egypt, Eid is a time for the tight knit family of 6 including her two sisters, Raghad and Mariam, her brother Ahmed and her mum and dad, to spend a few days together.

A typical first day of Eid would begin with everyone waking up a bit before fajr prayer. The whole family would begin the day with a special practice known as Tekbeerat El Eid. It’s a way to glorify and praise Allah by repeating several key Islamic phrases like “Allahu Akhbar”.

Prior to heading to the mosque for Eid prayer, they would all get dressed. Reem’s brother, Ahmed and her dad would wear a galabia. While Raghad, the youngest would adorn her newly picked Eid outfit. With Eid prayer out of the way, the family would hang out outside the mosque to watch a couple of kids giving out marshmallows and candy to other kids. This tradition is to help encourage the kids to develop a connection to Eid and take a more active role in its customs.  

When it comes to the food, Reem’s family likes to diversify their menu. They would head to their usual spot, Al Mukhtar Bakery, for a late Eid breakfast. It’s every cheese lover’s dream as it’s known for its wide selection of cheese toppings from El Akkawi Cheese to Kashkaval.

No one said that meat isn’t involved though. For dinner, the family would head to a restaurant called Fattah Kawarah. It’s a way for them to bring a taste of Egypt all the way to Sharjah with the menu including several Egyptian classics from Fattah and Rokak to Molokhia and Tarb. Just with Nancy’s family, the meal is followed by a hefty food coma.

Following the first day, the next 2 days are a little different. As Eid coincides with the summer months, Reem’s family likes to make use of the season by checking in to a hotel, whether it’s the Rixos or Dubai’s Grand Hyatt, to cool off and unwind. Days would be marked by visits to the pool and the beach, followed by a meal. At night, they’d enjoy whatever entertainment is offered by the hotel whether it be a vivacious belly dancer or a brave fire eater.

Reem loves being with family and especially loves to take many pictures to document every special moment and place they would visit. So, here’s to more fun, action-packed days of Eid for Reem and her family!

Eid El Adha, Again????

Nancy and Reem obviously love Eid yet, this particular holiday is not for everyone. Laila Saeed and Mariam are two Saudi women in their twenties. Both are from different families, and both share a preference for Eid El Fitr. Residing at Saudi’s port city, Jeddah, they have been celebrating Eid El Adha like any family, each year among friends and family. Yet, to them, they don’t share the typical attachment and love that others have for this holiday.

Here’s the reason, these days, many families use the Eid holiday as an escape from the daily grind of their day-to-day lives. Many residents would book stays in resorts scattered across the globe or take cheap flights to neighbouring Arab cities. A staycation in the Kingdom is rarely considered as an option. Now, with most families travelling abroad during Eid, this accomplishes two things, a distinctive wave of silence and quiet would wash over the Kingdom. This is coupled with a scant gathering of a few relatives, making the quiet seem even more intense. Eid is all about family gatherings, so it makes sense why Mariam and Laila struggle to connect to it.  

Despite this, there are a few traditions enjoyed by both women. With Laila, she’d always look forward to her mum’s homemade maamoul filled with dates. This is her favorite part of the entire holiday as these freshly baked Saudi goods beat out Halwani Bro’s sad store-bought alternative! And with Mariam, its all about the Benjamin’s! She’d receive a thick envelope of Eid money from her dad allowing her to tick off some items off her wishlist, from makeup to handbags to everything in between!

With such a wide range of unique celebrations, with some families counting off the days in anticipation of the arrival of Eid El Adha while others preferring to look forward to its later cousin, Eid El Fitr, one thing links all these people together: the bringing together of loved ones under one roof to create new memories every year!

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