Culture x Community: Celebrating Eid
Eid festivities are almost upon us! There are more than 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide, but by no means do they all practice religious holidays in the same ways. At CTZN you know we love to celebrate representation, so we asked three CTZNs around the world how they celebrate Eid in their cultures and families.
Here’s what they shared:
Enas Hamdan, Palestinian-Jordanian, living in Jordan
“The night before Eid, we usually gather as a family and have our last iftar together. It's a must, and usually with even distant family members. After iftar we spread out, the ladies often occupy themselves with skincare, masks, last-minute shopping for clothes and desserts! They also start preparing Arabic coffee the night before Eid, and then just heat it up the next. That smell of coffee after the last iftar will always have a special place in my heart – now every time I smell that coffee, I remember Eid as a kid (which honestly was more fun!) We wouldn’t sleep that night until outfits were ready for the next day.
On Eid day, we wake up at Fajr, or dawn, and head to the mosque for Eid prayer shortly after. The local mosque is filled with families celebrating, and it ends up being a really nice walk with your neighbors and family. After the prayer we go home, reheat the coffee, shower, and dress up in strictly new outfits. We glam up (there's a day look first) and then we go visit our relatives from one house to the other where we have food, coffee and candy. There's this tradition where we eat Ka’ak el Eid as well (in most cases we would prepare it ourselves a few days before Eid) and when it’s around Maghreb, or sunset time, we go home, change clothes, and prepare for a night out, where we go as family for dinner – we’re usually starving at this point!”
Zeina Al Safadi, Palestinian-Jordanian, living in Qatar
“The week before Eid in Qatar everyone starts to prepare: the women do their henna, hair, nails and shop for their outfits while the men do the same by getting their haircuts – I think that’s about it for men!
The day before Eid, my mother, sister and I bake maamoul which is an Arabic date cookie. It fills the house with what I associate as the smell of Eid. Then at night we have iftar with the family and spread out, doing last-minute shopping and salon visits.
On Eid day, everyone gets ready to visit their family. I wear new clothes but usually not traditional designs – more Western style. We all usually meet at the eldest member of the family’s house and have lunch. After that, we make time to visit the other side of the family and all the elders in the family.
Our family traditions are a bit different since we're expats. When we stay in Qatar for Eid, we get dressed up, go to lunch, and go around to visit our family friends who are expats as well. The first half of the day is usually just spent with our immediate family, and the second half is usually a games night with friends in the evening at our house.”
Hafsa Lodi, American-Pakistani living in Dubai
“I try having my Eid outfit planned at least a week in advance. I really make an effort to wear cultural clothing on Eid. I don’t stress about buying a necessarily new outfit – since I don’t wear South Asian shalwar kameezes that frequently, mine are already hardly worn and still feel like new! The day before Eid, I take out henna and stencils – bought from henna artist extraordinaire Dr. Azra, and apply some on my daughter’s hands and on my own. She is 4, and is absolutely obsessed with henna. Last year she requested a mermaid. I hope her vision this year is easier for me to draw!
The night before Eid, I steam iron my outfit and take out whatever jewelry I’ll be wearing. I’ll try to get a last-minute blow-dry appointment but am probably too late, with salons booked up, and will resort to curling my hair myself the next morning. I also prepare a back-up outfit in case my kids ruin my first. Sigh.
The men in my family wake up early for Eid prayers, and I wake up a little later, get myself and my kids ready and then go to my mother’s house to help her prepare family brunch. Her home is an open house on Eid, with family usually coming over in the morning, and friends in the afternoon. After brunch, my family does a Secret Santa gift exchange, which is always fun! Later, we play a trivia quiz game organized by my father. By night-time, our stomachs are full and we’re exhausted. We feel blessed to have experienced another Ramadan and pray we’ll have the opportunity to celebrate many more to come.”
Eid Mubarak CTZN Fam!
We love to see all of the similarities despite the differences in cultures, and the mix of old, family traditions with new rituals! May your celebrations all be filled with delicious feasts, joyous time spent with loved ones and of course, a festive look that’s complete with a touch of CTZN 😉
Shop last-minute Nudiversal and Code Red lipsticks, or think about getting yourself a pot of CTZN Gold for a glam finish. Everything is currently 20% off for Eid, so fill up your cart and make sure to tag us in all of your CTZN beauty looks this weekend!