Eid al Adha - Ruqia Mohammad

How are you going to be celebrating Eid al Adha?

My family and I celebrate Eid al Adha by dressing up and wearing fancy clothing, then making our way to the mosque for Eid prayer. After the prayer, we greet all our friends and family and have photoshoots to capture everyone’s look for the day and post on social media. Then it’s time to eat – usually this involves family going out to a brunch restaurant together and grabbing some coffee to make up for the early morning. After that, we have a large family reunion at home, we exchange presents, we eat delicious food, and we do fun activities such as playing board games, ping pong, air hockey, etc. to keep up the cheer through the rest of the day.

What is your favourite memory of celebrating Eid?

My favorite memory of celebrating Eid is seeing the sheer joy on my nieces and nephews’ faces. My family really focuses on making Eid a great time for the children – which means decorating our houses, baking and buying plenty of desserts so that there is an endless supply, playing upbeat music around the home, planning fun activities such as a trip to a trampoline park, and spoiling the kids with cash and other presents. A big part of Islam is being generous and giving, so on Eid, we give to the kids – we do whatever we can to make them happy and excited for Eid. That, in turn, sparks joy for the adults (but we also get gifts, enjoy good food and sweets, and savor the quality time with our loved ones). It was the same way for me when I was a child, so I love to carry on the tradition with the next generation.

What foods or drink do you consume during Eid al Adha?

Every family has their own food/drinks that they like to have on Eid. I come from an Afghan family so an essential during Brunch is Chai (Milk Tea) and then an essential for Dinner is Kabuli Pulao (Flavored rice with lamb) and Mantu (Beef dumplings). And, of course, plenty of dessert – we keep chocolates, cookies, cakes, pastries, and various desserts laid out on a table for anyone to grab!