Straight
Talk Recreating
the Spirit of Eid
Nadia
Kabir Barb
As we
bid farewell to the holy month of Ramadan and Eid is almost
upon us, I find myself reminiscing about my childhood in Dhaka
where Eid was an occasion we used to look forward to with
great excitement and anticipation. It still makes me smile
when I remember how my cousins and I could not wait to see
each other and show off our new clothes, which had been meticulously
chosen including even the colour of our hair band. Our enthusiasm
would not abate even when we had chosen exactly the same outfits!
We would then spend time chattering away, eating scrumptious
food all day and visiting other relatives. Unlike Dhaka where
everyone is getting ready to celebrate Eid, in London and
possibly most countries that are non Islamic, it is up to
oneself to make Eid a special occasion and not let it pass
by as just another regular day filled with our day to day
activities. This is particularly hard if you have no family
nearby or you are new to a country and have not established
any firm relationships or contacts. It can be a rather lonely
time for many people.
In Bangladesh
as Ramadan comes to an end, the pre- Eid activities seem to
become more and more frenzied. The shops are flooded with
the latest designs of saris and <>shalwar kameezes<>,
trendy <>kurta-pyjamas<> are displayed to entice
the male population and even the children have a wide variety
of choice. Then of course there is always the last minute
shopping for new shoes for the kids or condiments to prepare
ones favourite "shemai" or "firni", or
the last of the <>zakat<> to be given! However,
back here in London, life goes on as usual. The kids go to
school, offices are open and the shops display their usual
goods. There are no holidays, no lights to decorate the shops
and hotels nor are there any indications to show that it is
such a special day for the Muslim community. It is only noticeable
in parts of London where there is a large concentration of
Muslims such as East London where there is a large Bangladeshi
contingent. A little glimpse of the Bangladeshi enclave shows
us a different scene to the one we see in most parts of London.
The air is abuzz with the expectancy that accompanies Eid.
It is almost worth going down to the East End just to take
in the atmosphere.
One of
the things that I have appreciated about celebrating Eid in
London is the ability to say my Eid prayers in Regents Park
Mosque. The mosque which was established in 1944 has become
a familiar feature on the London skyline with its enormous
golden dome and is one of the few mosques that allow women
to pray in a section especially designated for ladies. There
are usually a few different times for the Eid prayers but
no matter when you go it is absolutely packed. This usually
creates chaos outside the mosque where there is a constant
flow of pedestrians walking to and from the Mosque and cars
are parked everywhere. Some in their haste to get to the prayers
on time make the mistake of parking inappropriately and have
the unpleasant surprise of a ticket awaiting them on their
return. It is a wonderful sight to see Muslims of all ages
and ethnic backgrounds gather together and celebrate Eid.
Having
spent Ramadan in Dhaka and celebrated Eid there numerous times,
my children are now always keen to recreate their positive
experiences here in London. So every year we celebrate Eid
by getting together with family and close friends in one place,
either for lunch or dinner. The children dress up in their
new clothes and meet their aunts and uncles. Now that the
children are a little older, they are also aware of the fact
that many of their relatives give them an "eidee"
which only enhances their enjoyment of the day! Even when
I am trying to explain to them that getting an "eidee"
is not the main aspect of Eid, I am transported back to days
where I used to accompany my father to go visiting. The highlight
of those visits was going to see an Uncle who was a family
friend and receiving a crisp white envelope with Tk 25 in
it! But the interesting thing was he had a specific number
of these envelopes and he gave them to anyone who went to
visit him regardless of age. Thus not only would I come away
with my treasured 25 taka but so would my father. It is sometimes
difficult with Christmas following hard on the heels of Eid
in the last few years to get the children not to compare the
two events. This is due to the fact that the whole of London
gears up for the countdown to X-mas in much the same way as
we do for Eid in Bangladesh. However, it really is up to us
to make Eid as special a day as we can not just for our children
but for ourselves too.
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