Eid Al Adha 2020: 10 ways partake in the festivities from home

Family cooking: Nothing beats a scrumptious Eid feast where you dig out age-old recipes passed down generations and slow cook that meat biryani or kebabs. While traditions may be different in every home, why don’t you make a new one and get the children involved in the cooking, before the feasting. Regale them with stories of your childhood Eid feasts as you share some kitchen secrets to pass down generations.

Order in: If cooking is not your thing, then take advantage of the Eid meal deals across restaurants in the UAE. You can order your favourite treats and keep room for some scrumptious dessert in the process. We do sneakily recommend Firas Sweets, largely for its kunafa.

Feast with the family: While restaurants across the UAE have opened up for Eid celebrations, if you happen to be uncomfortable with the crowds during a pandemic, then host a virtual feast over Zoom, Google Hangouts or whichever video calling app that tickles your fancy. Thanks to technology, we can now have family on call at our fingertips. Set the table and bring your family members and/or friends to break bread with you virtually.

Dress up for Eid: Feasting and collecting Eidiya should not be your only job over Eid. Take the time to dress up for the occasion as well, which will instantly cheer you up and get you feeling festive within minutes. It is also the perfect excuse to ditch the sweats if that family Zoom call is on the agenda.

Get gaming: After every family feast, and hours of sleep, the Rai family tradition includes an intimate gathering of friends and family for a festive game night. Take the gaming online this year and connect with family and friends over a video calling up for some healthy competition. We are quite partial towards Psych and Pictionary, but there are loads of options available online to pick from.

Movie night in: What better way to celebrate the Eid long weekend than by rounding up the family for a night in with everyone’s favourite films? Let the kids have their pick of movies on one night each, while the parents can keep one night of film fun all to themselves. Also, if you are looking for a special watch over Eid, then do check out the Saudi Arabian film ‘The Perfect Canditate’, which has been directed by Haifaa Al Mansour and is currently streaming on OSN.

Get crafty: One of the best parts about celebrating Eid – aside from the food course – are the lovely decorations that really bring on the festive spirit. If you have kids at home for the summer holidays, who have not much else to do, then sign them up for an arts and crafts project to spruce up the home for Eid with paper lanterns, crescent moon cutouts and even decorations for the windows. So what if there’s a huge Eid gathering? You can still use the cheer and be grateful for health.

Eid gifting: If heading to the mall isn’t your idea of fun over the Eid break, then go online and sift through some cracking deals during the Dubai Summer Surprises. Sites such as Yougotagift.com are also associated with many retail shops and malls in the UAE.

Take a virtual vacation: If you are sad that your holiday plans over the Eid long weekend have gone for a toss, then why not opt for a virtual vacation instead? Yes, it isn’t the same thing as travelling of course, but it does get you a little bit closer to your travel bucket list. My dream has been visiting Machu Picchu some day and Youvisit.com/tour/machupicchu take you there minus the worries of a pandemic.

Up for a play: Broadway and London’s West End may be off the cards for a while, but that doesn’t mean the entertainment needs to stop. Marquee TV is the fairly new on-demand streaming service in the UAE that aims to bring award-winning shows from London’s Royal Opera House and the Royal Shakespeare Company, along with Russia’s famous Bolshoi Ballet, to name a few. Also available here is BroadwayHD, which brings the magic of Broadway shows alive in your homes. Check out the respective sites over the Eid weekend and get watching.