The holiday season: can’t get enough of it, or can’t wait for it all to be over already? Has your attitude toward the end-of-year holidays changed over the years?
Our Muslim holidays are the two Eids — Eid-ul-Fitr, and Eid-ul-Adha.
The Eid holidays get shifted ten days ahead every year, cause of the Lunar calendar followed.
Eid-ul-Fitr comes after Ramadan (30 days of fasting). I keep forgetting on Eid day that I am not fasting, and can drink water, and eat food. One feels stuffed with only having a bite, or two. Our bodies get so used to fasting.
One benefit of fasting is, white sparkling teeth, because the whole month during daytime no food passes your mouth.
We (my (late) husband, and children) were coming back to Lahore from Charsadda during the first day of Ramadan. We took a small break for resting at an Army Mess on the way. I called the waiter to bring iced water for the kids. My husband, and I, we were both fasting. The children were too young to fast.
I poured water into a glass, and instead of giving it to the children I had it myself, forgetting my fast. Eeeee………it was so embarrassing, and that too in front of the waiter.😙
The second one Eid-ul-Adha is celebrated at the end of Haj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. Muslims offer sacrifice in remembrance of Prophet Ibrahim’s (Abrahim) sacrifice.
On both the Eid days many food dishes are prepared for guests. We visit relatives, and friends, and they in return visit us.
As a child, I look forward to Eids. We would have new clothes for Eid, plus getting Eidee (term for money on Eid day) from grown ups. As a grown up the fun of Eid is no longer there. There is only work, and more work.
At the end of the day one is tired, and longs for bed.
Flowers and Breezes 
I agree that holidays were more fun when I was a child. We celebrate Christmas, and it is a lot of work to prepare the food, decorate the house, and have family come to stay. I do enjoy the visiting; I just wish someone else was doing the work.
I didn’t know that fasting helped to whiten your teeth, although that makes sense. I have only tried fasting once. I felt so nauseated. I don’t know if I could do it for an entire month.
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For you the fasting must have been difficult. We get used to fasting. I started when I was eight years old.
For us fasting is enjoined upon us as a religious must, and so we look to the spiritual rewards.
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In addition to the spiritual rewards, I imagine it also is a wonderful way to share in a common practice that creates a bond with your community of faith.
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It does motivate a person to fast when others are doing the same. When the end of Ramadan comes, one misses the feelings of purity in adhering to God’s rules for fasting. The fasting makes people realize what hunger is, and to give food to the needy. The Eid day does feel special to everyone after following an obligation to fast.
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For me as a kid, best part of Eid was Eidi, Not missing a chance to take money from elders, I still take money though 😀
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Hello Z, glad to see you back. How were the exams?
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The exams went well, I’m glad to be back too 🙂
Hope you are doing good 🙂
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Thanks, I am fine. Just living my life a day.
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