‘Eid is the most beautiful time of the year'
One of the most evident indications of Eid is, perhaps, the coming together of families — as is the case for the Yousuf family, whose house becomes the “headquarters'' for celebrations on this special day.
Over 100 family members from India and all over the world travel to the Yousuf's beautiful home in eager anticipation of events that will take place throughout the day .
Dr B.K. Yousuf, the head of the family, said the first day of Eid normally begins with morning prayers.
“We go to the mosque to perform the Eid Al Fitr Idgha, a mass outdoor prayer that many Shaikhs and families attend,'' he said.
“We get up really early that morning, maybe around seven or so,'' he added.
Yousuf described the festival as the “most beautiful time of the year'', when not just families, but friends and people of all religions, get together.
“It is a time of giving. People can exchange spiritual thoughts and continue to offer Zakaat [charity], and you feel that all of it is from deep within the heart,'' he said.
“Everyone has something to look forward to, regardless of religion, age or status.''
“Even my Christian friends abroad ask me what the plans are for Eid this year,'' said Samir Mohammad, one of Yousuf's two sons. Meanwhile, Samina Yousuf, the daughter of the family, described Eid as the “grand finale'' of a month dedicated to the greater good.
“Ramadan is a time where we are meant to understand the suffering of others,'' she explained.
“The moment it is time for us to break our fast, we just jump at the food. But for us, this was just a few hours of endurance. It makes you wonder: what about others who live their whole lives this way? This is our way of thanking God for everything He has blessed us with,'' she said.
Preparations are made well in advance for this special day and all other plans are put on hold as the Yousuf family finds great comfort in their UAE home during Ramadan.
“We stay at home and make no other commitments,'' Yousuf said. “Even throughout Ramadan I try to avoid all business trips. I feel at peace when I am at home here in the UAE. The country's atmosphere is beautiful during this time of the year.''
For this family, however, a single day of Eid celebrations just isn't enough.
“The next day we usually travel to India to meet our relatives there,'' Samina said. “So, technically speaking, we get to celebrate Eid twice.''
‘It's important to constantly remind yourself of the true point of Ramadan and not lose yourself in what's going on around you'
Neamat Fouad Sleiman, a working mother of two, says Eid does not feel the way it does back home in Lebanon, where her parents still live.
Neamat said that the fast-paced life in Dubai has given Eid a completely different feeling.
“I'm used to celebrating Eid in my country,'' she said. “It's different now. This is our third Eid in Dubai and there aren't many relatives here to visit as there are back home.''
“Now most of the people who come over are my cousins and bachelors,'' she said. “I feel like I'm the eldest in the house. It's not the same feeling as when I'm back home.''
Nevertheless, Neamat says she tries to make the most of Eid for her family.
The day begins with Neamat and her husband waking up early in the morning to listen to the Eid prayer. They then go on to start preparations for lunch.
“Listening to the prayer lets me remember all the Eids I celebrated before [at my home in Lebanon],'' she said.
Describing the feeling as a moment of “nostalgia'', Neamat admits that Eid used to mean a lot more to her when she was single.
“You don't truly feel the essence of Eid unless you are with your parents,'' she said. “That's why our children probably feel it more than we do. For us it's just the end of Ramadan.''
Neamat says that life today has made Ramadan “more a ritual than an essence'' and that people need to be reminded of its true purpose.
“I recently told my eldest daughter that we shouldn't make a variety of food at iftar and she asked me why,'' she said.
“She has been fasting for two years and she still doesn't understand the true meaning of Ramadan. It's something we always talk about but never actually feel,'' she said.
Daily spending on food, clothes and a generally “festive'' lifestyle makes it easy for people to forget the true meaning of this month, Neamat says.
“It's important that you constantly remind yourself of the true point of Ramadan and not lose yourself in everything going on around you,'' she adds.
‘Eid is about appreciating everything you have been blessed with'
Being a working woman and mother of five boys is not an easy task but for Hala Kazim, it seems to come naturally. She moves around the house with enviable energy and talks with ease about how lucky she is to have such a wonderful family.
So Eid is another reason to get together and enjoy each other's company.
“The first day of Eid my older sons come and visit us with their wives and children. We then go to my eldest brother's house for a family gathering,'' Hala said. “In the afternoon, we visit our extended family.
The artistic Emirati national is the founder of My Private Collection and has built herself a studio in the house — so she is never far from home.
Her works hang gracefully around her home and were even sold at London's Harrods recently. However, it is the pictures of her children and husband that give her the greatest satisfaction.
“I like to have a quiet Eid. My sons go for morning prayers at the mosque while I pray at home and stay with the younger ones,'' she said.
As she is a woman of many talents, it is not surprising she is passionate about food and creating new dishes. She bakes cakes and takes some to her family home.
However, the second and third day she takes the boys shopping and lets them choose their presents.
“Eid is about appreciating everything you have been blessed with. It is about forgiving and restoring relationships,'' Hala said.
‘Eid is also about forgiving and forgetting bad things and being grateful for our family'
As a busy working mother of five, Afra Rashid Al Basti says Eid gives her a great opportunity to spend time with the children.
The UAE national usually works long hours at the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children, of which she is the chief operations officer.
The centre works for the betterment of victims of domestic violence and human trafficking. Afra says the year-old organisation has resolved at least 110 cases.
That is why Afra welcomes Eid when she gets a break from work to enjoy time with the family.
“Eid is a joyful occasion, especially following Ramadan, during which we are fasting and praying. The festival atmosphere is very different.'' Afra said.
“My days are usually very busy and I try to capture any chance I get to stay at home.''
As Dubai is continuously growing and an increasing number of people are moving to the city, especially during Eid, Afra and her family like to prepare for the festival a month in advance.
“We begin changing our habits during this time. We prepare everything as soon as Ramadan starts so we are not in a rush later. We make sure the traditional clothes for the boys are made and the house is ready to receive guests,'' she said.
That means cutlery, china, tablecloths, glasses, flowers — all have to be new. “Eid is also about forgiving and forgetting bad things and being grateful for our family. We are also thankful for the opportunity of being able to buy new things for ourselves and the house,'' Afra said.
The day begins with Afra waking up the children and getting them prepared for the long day ahead. She offers Eid prayers at home because her younger children are 7 and 5.
She stays with them while the rest of the family prays at the mosque. They then go to visit relatives and come back to greet guests.
Visitors tend to come every five to ten minutes. So the whole day is spent entertaining family and close friends. Whoever comes during lunch and dinner time will be invited to stay.
“The children are very happy during Eid because the more family we see, the more presents they get!'' Afra said.
More importantly, the whole family gets a chance to visit those they have not had a chance to see in a while.