Photo: Karachi, Pakistan 2012
As a Muslim, one of the biggest celebrations in the Islamic calendar consist of: Ramadan and Eid (al-Fitr). Flashback to my childhood days, I remember being in Pakistan and India during the months of Ramadan or Eid and my surroundings were full of festive Ramadan talks and Eid celebrations. Flashback to about 3 years ago when I went wedding shopping in Pakistan, we were fortunate enough to be still there for the first few weeks of Ramadan and it was such a delight to be in an Islamic country during this holy month, especially as an adult, where I was able to soak in all the memories.
In Pakistan this month is celebrated with numerous prayers and rituals. I remember the Men would go visit the mosques to perform prayers while the Women did the same at home. I would wake up to the sound of EARLY morning prayer Azan that was heard from a mosque miles away. Every morning special foods were served which are unique to this months breakfasts. A popular breakfast food that I remember being served in Pakistan (literally with LINES of people at the sweets dukaan/shop) was the Halwa Puri combo as well as cholay (chickpeas). Then in the evening people prepare special refreshing drinks made of rose water (raise your hand if the words "rooh afza" make your heart skip a beat!) and fresh lemonade, and many different kinds of deep fried dishes. The bazaars (shops) opened late and usually have a break during the evening prayers and then re-opened again till about 10 PM or midnight. I remember during the first few weeks of Ramadan that we were there, all restaurants, food stalls in the streets and even the "Paan shops" (lol) closed and it was frowned upon to eat or drink in public.
And as for Eid...it is such a wonderful joyous celebration. Not just Eid al-Fitr but any Eid is a special treat for Muslims, and especially the children. Eid al-Fitr is a delightful 3-day celebration of breaking the fast. It is a time to give to charity and to those in need, and celebrate with family and friends the completion of a month of blessings and joy aka Ramadan. During these three days, muslim families donate food and money to charity, gather early in the morning in (usually) outdoor locations or mosques to perform the Eid prayer and sermon, and after the prayers, families usually scatter to visit various family and friends, give gifts (especially to children), and make phone calls to distant relatives. In most Muslim countries, the entire 3-day period is an official government/school holiday.
Unfortunately, living in the US, it is difficult to celebrate Eid with such joy. With work, school and distance between many family and friends, Muslim children in the US don't always get the full taste of Ramdan and Eid as they would being back in their mother-country. But, there are always ways to make Ramdan and Eid special for our little ones. Something that I did last year for my nieces and nephews who are miles away from me was make Eid Goodie Bags. I stuffed the bags with various child-friendly goodies and candies. For me, this small act brought so much joy to my heart when my sisters sent me videos of my nieces and nephews opening up their bags. You can purchase SUPER CUTE Eid gift bags, money envelopes, decor HALAL gummy bear candies and much more at ModernEid (Click to redirect to site).
And as for Eid...it is such a wonderful joyous celebration. Not just Eid al-Fitr but any Eid is a special treat for Muslims, and especially the children. Eid al-Fitr is a delightful 3-day celebration of breaking the fast. It is a time to give to charity and to those in need, and celebrate with family and friends the completion of a month of blessings and joy aka Ramadan. During these three days, muslim families donate food and money to charity, gather early in the morning in (usually) outdoor locations or mosques to perform the Eid prayer and sermon, and after the prayers, families usually scatter to visit various family and friends, give gifts (especially to children), and make phone calls to distant relatives. In most Muslim countries, the entire 3-day period is an official government/school holiday.
Photo: Eid 2014 Goodie Bags + Money Envelopes
Ok, it can be so difficult to find halal candy sometimes! Especially when it comes to gummy candy, you must never know if you should eat it or not! Well, ModernEid made that ever so simple by introducing the HALAL gummy worms and gummy bears! These cute little acrylic boxes that the gummies come in SOLD me! How perfect are these not just for Eid but also for other party favors!!
Last year, I had ordered the Happy Eid money envelopes, Eid Mubarak stickers and clear goodie bags. I then went to the dollar store and target to get my hands on various goodies for the kids. The sky is the limit with what you can stuff your bags with: candy, mini playdough, toy cars.airplanes, noise makers, rings, etc. Get creative! Also, make sure if you are mailing these out like I did, don't stuff the bags with things that are too heavy in weight.
Modern Eid sent me a few samples of some of their newest items that I absolutely adored! See below:
How cute are these Happy Eid paper cookie baggies?! PERFECT for treats for your Eid Sweets table go mini Eid gifts for friends, family or coworkers!
I am absolutely in love with these gold Happy Eid banner stickers! These are PERFECT to jazz up straws for your party or even appetizer toothpicks! I may also put them on toothpicks & stick them in cupcakes to make my cupcakes look for festive!
I hope you enjoyed this post on some Ramdan and Eid thoughts , highlights, & flashbacks and please share with us if you decide to put a smile on a child's face this Ramadan and Eid! We would love to see how creative you got! And don't forget to check out ModernEid for all your (modern) Ramadan and Eid needs this year! xoxx-
Photo: ModernEid
PS- Make sure you are following both @ModernEid and @TheLipstickpantry on Instagram and Facebook! :)
No comments:
Post a Comment