Eid al fitr and Eid al Ahda are two of the major holidays in Islam. Eid al fitr celebrates the breaking of the fast, the end of the Ramadan month. Eid al Adha on the other hand is the feast of the sacrifice which celebrates when God commanded Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ishmael as a sign of obedience to God (but provided him a sheep to sacrifice instead).
From what I have seen, a lot of new Muslims become confused when it comes to the traditions of these two holidays, and a lot of things in Islam, believing that they have to follow Arab tradition in order to enjoy the experience. This is not true. While there are certain aspects that are required in both holidays, there are no mandatory ways in which someone has to experience the holidays according to Islam. What I mean is, you do not have to follow Arabian traditions of what to wear, eat, and how to celebrate with your family.
Around the world, Eid is a great celebration, especially aimed towards children. It is celebrated differently in different countries and cultures. People eat different foods, attend festivals, and even make their own family traditions.
One way to keep children connected in Eid is by starting your own family traditions that they will feel are special and will enjoy. For instance, I know that my daughters would not enjoy a breakfast of foul and taameya ( Egyptian stewed beans and falafel) and would more than likely dread this tradition. A traditional meal for Eid al fitr in Egypt is fasekh (rotten or fermented fish - which smells terrible in my opinion), this is another thing my children would dread. So as a parent, why would I follow traditions that my children can't relate to and would only cause them to dread Eid?
Each family is unique. It is important, regardless of your cultural background, to make these holidays enjoyable for your children and family by creating traditions for yourselves. While we will always have traditional Eid cookies in our house, we also will always have our traditional build your own waffle buffet. We will not be fermented fish, but will have a family bbq with a wide variety of dishes that we know our family loves.
Traditions help keep families together and make a bonding atmosphere that makes children feel safe, welcome, and part of something greater. They are carried on by generations to come if they are made to be an important value in your family.
What kind of traditions do your families have for Eid?
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