Abu Dhabi/Dubai: Family traditions, prayer and thanksgiving permeated the country as thousands of people celebrated the first day of Eid Al Fitr, marking the completion of Ramadan and the beginning of Shawwal on Monday.
Muslims thronged mosques and musallahs to offer Eid prayers as children waited to receive Eid gifts. Many opted to stick to the age-old tradition of visiting family and friends to celebrate Eid.
Traffic built up near mosques just before the morning prayers but eventually cleared by mid-morning. Dubai Metro ran on extended timings to accommodate revellers.
Many residents shunned the outdoors at about noon because of the hot and hazy weather. But there were a few who braved the heat and went for a short swim at Jumeirah Beach.
“Usually we go out of town during Eid but we chose to stay in Dubai this year because we wanted to visit friends and celebrate Eid with them,” Airin Abdul Muti, 30, told Gulf News.
In Abu Dhabi, Sarmad Shahid visited friends and family the whole day. In the evening, he opened his home to guests with a sumptuous feast. The second day will be dedicated to friends, and the third to family again.
“We might go to [a resort in] Fujairah or Dubai. So each day is different with something new to do.”
For Abdul Wahid Noor being charitable is part of the Eid tradition.
“Before the Eid prayer at the mosque, we took some cash from the ATM to hand out to the children. After offering Eid prayers, we gave them money.”
Sri Lankan expatriate Mohammad Ebrahim Lucman expressed his loneliness during this year’s Eid because he has no family to celebrate it with.
“Eid is for family. It’s boring if you’re not with them. But it’s a good thing friends are here,” he said.
- Sami Zaatari is a trainee at Gulf News.
