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A Glittering `Eid Mubarak
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By
Fatima Sajid**
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Nov.
1, 2005
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Bangle-shopping
is a popular time-passing on the night before `Eid
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The
jangling and clinking of shimmering and glittering glass bangles, the soft
fragrance of roses and lilies, the colorful clothes, and the unmistakable aroma
of henna—all these and much more are an essential part of the `Eid festivities
of Pakistan. After a month of fasting and subjugating oneself to Allah and
praying for forgiveness, insight, wisdom, and purity, `Eid Al-Fitr arrives with
much festivity and celebration. From the night that the Shawwal moon has been
sighted, which is called Chand Ra’at (chand means “moon” and ra’at
means “night”), the first sight of the moon is a cause for prayer and thanks
to the Almighty for the blessings of the month of Ramadan. For the ladies, it is
a night of preparation for the next day. Henna is applied in intricate patterns
on the hands and even feet for the enthusiasts, and clothes for the next morning
are ironed and laid out, especially kept ready for the men in the house to wear
early morning for the `Eid prayers.
The
kitchen is abuzz with activity for the special treats that go with the occasion.
The favorite sweet dish, the traditional sheer khurma, is prepared in
almost every Muslim household. Almonds and pistachios are soaked in water the
night before the dish is made. Shops selling everything from foodstuff and
household items to the latest fashion items are open all night long. Along the
roadside, vendors sell a variety of glittering garments for women and children,
and crisp starched shalwar kurtas for men. The sellers of accessories
also have a busy night. Sequined hair ornaments and ponytail bands, clips,
combs, and hair bands bedecked with shining colorful beads and stones are all
available for a reasonable price. The three famous shopping locations, Sadder,
Tariq Road, and Clifton, are lit up heavily with buntings and colorful lights,
and traffic is jam-packed till the wee hours of the morning.
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Kids dress
up to the teeth in their new `Eid outfits
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For
most people, going out on Chand Ra’at for bangles and the application of henna
to one of the many beauty parlors is a must. No one seems to mind the heavy
traffic jams and non-availability of parking space. After all, they have the
whole night to enjoy the fun of `Eid shopping. Some people just go out for the
sheer fun of it. To have an ice cream maybe, and observe the frenzied excitement
of the night. Tailors are seen busy handing out the outfits readied at the last
minute. Sometimes many an argument ensues with a disconcerted customer because
of the lack of time management by the craftsman or tailor. It is the time of
year when the tailors in the country make the most amount of money and do
excellent business, and look forward to a week of much-deserved rest after `Eid.
Ladies are seen with a sample of the color of their `Eid jora (outfit),
to match the exact color and shade with their new shoes or churian (glass
bangles).
In
every household, domestic servants are given a set of new clothes by the
employer along with eidi, which is money received on `Eid as a gift or
charity. In fact, for every child, rich or poor, eidi is something that
is looked forward to and waited for the whole year. Every guest who visits the
house hands over some amount of money to every child in the house as a token of
greeting. Not to mention that all children wait anxiously for people to visit or
to go visit relatives on `Eid, all because of the much wanted eidi. Also
many plans are made beforehand on the stuff that will be bought with the prize
money that comes with every `Eid Al-Fitr. Not only children, but even teenagers
and newlyweds get something in the form of eidi from their elders. As
they say, “`Eid is for children. It is a way of knowing that the act of
fasting has its rewards in this world as well as in the Hereafter.”
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Henna is
applied in intricate patterns on the hands and even feet for the
enthusiasts
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`Ulema
and imams at the mosques offer sermons at the `Eid Namaz (Prayer; salah),
reminding people of the message of peace and unity, and the spirit of charity
emphasized on the special day for Muslims all over the world. On entering the
house after `Eid prayers, many a male is greeted by the aroma of sweet milk
being cooked with nuts, dried dates, and vermicelli. The traditional sheer
khurma is cooked in most homes on `Eid only. The delicious treat can be had
warm or chilled depending on the weather. Every `Eid, the sight and smell of sheer
khurma brings back fond memories of my childhood, of a very welcome warm cup
of the delight on a chilly `Eid morning. For a warm sunny day, the families as
well as guests enjoy bowls of chilled sheer khurma. Special `Eid cakes
are available at bakeries and courier services to be sent to friends and
relatives. Sweetmeat or mithai shops are a scene of activity as silver
and golden paper-covered boxes are packed for eager customers. Traditional
Pakistani sweetmeats include gulab jamun (soft and sweet sugar syrup
filled golden delights), barfi (made out of sugar, nuts, and cooked
milk). These come in all flavors like pistachio, almond, saffron. Ras malai,
another favorite, is sweet cottage cheese dumplings in milk, boiled with
pistachios and almonds. And last but not least is the delicious and famous habshi
halwa, dark brown and chewy made with pure ghee, nuts, and all sorts of
stuff. These are just some of the local delights that are enjoyed especially on
`Eid as even the figure-conscious people think they deserve a bit of the “good
stuff” after Ramadan.
`Eid
festivities go on for three days, which are also national holidays in the
country, starting from a day before. Celebrated by rich and poor alike, `Eid
Al-Fitr in Pakistan is an occasion that is looked forward to from months in
advance and enjoyed by locals and foreigners. The latter love the different
flavors and mood of the occasion, and take back fond memories.
`Eid
is this and much more in Pakistan. But due to the unfortunate and sad events in
Pakistan this year, it will indeed be a subdued and solemn occasion. We hope and
pray that the Almighty with His grace and mercy helps us overcome this tragedy
and that we can once again celebrate `Eid in all its glitter. Ameen.
**
Fatima Sajid was the fashion
coordinator for SHE magazine, the largest circulated English magazine in
Pakistan, for a year. She did a course in creative writing from the Writing
School in Australia. She has written as a freelancer for the last five years and
has written for the two leading national dailies, The News and DAWN,
in their "Young World" and "Sci-tech" publications. She has
also taught creative writing at the Center for Advanced Studies, (CAS) in
Karachi.
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