Expats celebrate Eid with unbridled joy

Jamil Khan, Senior Reporter

Eid Al Adha is one of the second biggest celebrations for Muslims all over the world. Expatriate communities like Pakistanis in the UAE have been celebrating the joyous day in different styles but the purpose is to spread happiness and share the true message of Eid Al Adha with others.

Talking to the Gulf Today, expatriates share their engagements of the day from offering Eid prayer congregations to visiting relatives and friends.

Rafik Nasar, a resident of Sharjah for a long time, said that the day started with Eid prayers at the central mosque.

“The major thing is that Eid started with a gathering for the traditional Pakistani breakfast of ‘Halwa Puri’. There is a famous Pakistani restaurant in Rolla, Sharjah which has been preparing various traditional Pakistani dishes for years that most of the community families visit on a regular basis. The day of Eid is all about meeting and greeting relatives and friends and others so we usually gather at one place and later in the evening relish a huge dinner in which most of the dishes are prepared with the sacrificial meat,” he said.

Many families are experts in preparing various meat dishes like ‘karahi’, barbecue, ‘qurma’ and others.

“The weather is not good for the outdoor activities or gatherings, so most of our meetings will be within the home and also wish for everyone to be blessed this Eid,” he added.

Waheed Pal, another long-time resident, said that Eid is one of the major events and “we will be celebrating with religious fervour and in a traditional manner of sacrificing on the Sunnah of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS).

“Like every year, we are taking part in the sacrificial ritual to sacrifice a goat and the meat will be distributed according to the religious custom.

“The next big activity of the day is to meet the friends and relatives while handing over their share of sacrificial meat. Besides gathering over lunch or dinner most of the time is spent on exchanging greetings with relatives over the phone or other modes of communication to Pakistan and different countries,” he said.

Sheikh Muhammad Pervaiz has been living in the country for almost 45 years and enjoying the events like Eid with friends and relatives all over the country. “Over the years, we have devised a plan with the consent of our relatives and friends to visit each other on a pre-arranged schedule. This not only helps meet everyone on every single occasion but we also know the happenings surrounding us while exchanging greetings and enjoying traditional food items,” he said.

There are a large number of traditional dishes made in each Pakistani family to treat guests with warmth. “Almost every household makes light dishes for snacks and has long discussions over tea or other cold drinks. We usually inform our guests that they are going to enjoy particular dishes when they are visiting us. This not only makes the children excited but everyone plans accordingly,” he said.

However, Pervaiz pointed that on every Eid most of the women in the families prepare not only a couple of dresses but also matching jewellery and other stuff. “It is very satisfying that our ladies and young children are showing great zeal on every Eid in terms of preparation from dresses to footwear and jewellery.

“The way the young children and girls dress up on Eid, it not only looks good but also spreads happiness, which shows on the faces of elders in the family. We express our appreciation on the best dressed lady or young kids who look more trendy and smart on Eid,” he added.

Truly Eid is a time for connecting with neighbours, friends and relatives. It is also a time to keep track of what’s happening in the lives of our loved ones. No other occasion calls for so much love, affection and togetherness.