UAE | Heritage and Culture

Eid celebrations on with family and friends

People from all walks of life celebrated the end of Ramadan by forging closer ties with the family and community, while others took advantage of the long holiday to run errands.

  • By Nina Muslim, Dina El Shammaa, Nassouh Nazzal, Staff Reporters
  • Published: 00:23 October 13, 2007
  • Gulf News

  • Residents exchange wishes.
  • Image Credit: Devadasan/Gulf News
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Dubai/Abu Dhabi/Ras Al Khaimah: People from all walks of life celebrated the end of Ramadan spiritually and by forging closer ties with the family and community, while others took advantage of the long holiday to run errands.

Hassan Bin Awang, a Thai-Muslim from Narathiwat in Southern Thailand, sees Eid Al Fitr as a religious holiday instead of a festive one. "Being far away from home, my celebration is centred on my joy of completing Ramadan and doing my religious duty during the month," he said.

He added that he had been busy sending Eid wishes to his family and friends in the UAE and overseas via his mobile.

Others, however, preferred the face-to-face approach. Roads to Dubai from Sharjah and Abu Dhabi were clogged with Eid travellers. Mahmoud Yaseen, an Iraqi ticket collector at the Abu Dhabi Bus Station, told Gulf News that 65 buses had left for Dubai and Sharjah in less than eight hours.

"I am expecting over 100 more buses to travel till 11:30pm, the strong rush and pressure is increasing by the minute. Everyone wants to travel in Eid," he said.

In Ras Al Khaimah, families celebrated the holiday at Saqr Public Park, the only public park in the emirate, or stayed at home. Some residents, however, do not have the luxury of their families in the UAE.

"I don't feel lonely or homesick because I have my friends with me. We are having a great time walking around the city," said Jubar Ahmad, a technician in Abu Dhabi.

Some diplomatic missions helped fill in the void by holding their own special Eid celebrations. The Malaysian Embassy in Abu Dhabi held an open house for its citizens.

Faridah Rashid, a correspondent for the Malaysian news agency, went to the embassy and visited key members of the Malaysian community in Dubai and Abu Dhabi for her first Eid in the UAE.

"I don't really feel that I'm away from home that much because there are lots of Malaysians here. But I have to admit, when I hear the takbeer [special invocation for Eid], I get homesick," she said.

However, Dr Rosario Tigno, a general practitioner at the Philippine Medical Centre, is opening her clinic for a few hours during the holiday to accommodate her patients' requests.

 

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