Essay on Eid
People all over the world celebrate their existence, or celebrate certain parts of their culture or religion from time to time. Almost every community or group has their own festival specific to their culture. These festivals present an important aspect of our culture. Festivals apart from bringing people together, present an insight to people who might not be familiar with the other culture.
Festivals are joyful expressions of a particular culture. They act as a great way of bringing people together, as well as of getting to know them. Communities feel a sense of togetherness when they celebrate or participate in a festival together.
Festivals can be of different kinds:
There are those we celebrate on a national level, remembering a particular aspect of our national history or achievement. Seasonal festivals are celebrated at the beginning of a particular season such as spring or summer, in praise and gratitude of nature and its gifts towards us. Then there are religious festivals. These are particular to a religious group such as Christmas, Diwali, Eid, Hanukkah. Although specific to their respective religions, these festivals are celebrated by people of other religions as well, to celebrate the common message of peace and harmony that these festivals represent.
In this essay, we will be discussing Eid, the festival celebrated by Muslims all over the world:
Eid is an Islamic festival celebrated by all Muslims of the world in the gratitude and remembrance of God. Eid is actually a term for two festivals celebrated twice a year. These two festivals are Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha.
Eid-ul-Fitr
Eid-ul-Fitr is the first of the two festivals in the Muslim calendar. It is celebrated at the end of Ramadan, the holy month in the Muslim calendar. Muslims observe Ramadan to remember the revelation of their holy book, the Quran to their last prophet, Prophet Muhammad.
Ramadan is the month during which muslims observe fast from sunrise to sunset, not eating or drinking till the evening call for prayer.
Eid-ul-Fitr calls for breaking of the sunrise-to-sunset fast and is celebrated with great happiness and through cooking of a wide variety of dishes. There is no specific date set from the beginning as the celebration of the festival is dependent on sighting the crescent moon.
During the month of Ramadan, people reflect upon themselves and upon the message that God sends in the Quran. Most of the time is spent in prayer.
Eid-ul-Fitr is an expression of gratitude for the previous month.The month of fasting and the festival that follows is a reminder for all muslims to be grateful for the things they have and to share what they have with others who might not have enough to fulfil their needs.
This Eid is started with an obligatory prayer and donations given to the poor and needy.
Gifts are exchanged with one another. Children especially receive gifts in the form of money. People pay visits to family and friends.
Although meat based dishes are the main attraction, Eid-ul-Fitr often sees a variety of sweet dishes and desserts being cooked. In South Asian countries such as India, a sweet dish called seviyan is quite popular with both muslims as well as their friends from other religions.
Eid-ul-Adha
Eid-ul-Adha comes after Eid-ul-Fitr and is second in importance to the previous festival. This festival marks the celebration of the prophet Ibrahim’s devotion and sacrifice to God. Muslims come together for three days to honour the prophet’s sacrifice by giving gifts, making a sacrifice and feasting. Eid-ul-Adha also marks the end of Hajj, the pilgrimage that many muslims undertake every year. This pilgrimage takes muslims to the city of Mecca, in Saudi Arabia. People spend their time in prayer and the recitation of the Quran.
Muslims on this day offer an animal in sacrifice, often a sheep or a goat or a camel to mark their prophet’s sacrifice in the name of God. Portions of this sacrifice are reserved for family, friends and the poor. The meat is divided and distributed.
It is made sure that everyone is able to have food and eat. That’s why the sacrifice and the distribution of the meat. It is a sign and importance on this day to share meals with one’s family and to eat together.
This Eid, like the one before, is marked by prayers, cooking a variety of dishes, and dressing up. Women and little girls apply henna on their hands.
The common greeting for both these festivals is a cheerful “Eid Mubarak”.
Like other festivals celebrated in the world, Eid brings with itself a message of joy and harmony. It brings people together in gratitude and forgiveness. Above all, it teaches the values of sharing and playing a role in providing for others. Creating a sense of equality, the festival makes sure that no one in a community is left out.
