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WASHINGTON — The most important thing for American Muslims in `Eid Al-Fitr is to demonstrate their unity and inter-racial harmony with a focus on the younger generations, who can only recognize one of the biggest festivals in the Islamic calendar through the congregational prayers early in the morning and a one-day merrymaking.
"It's extremely important to bring our children to these events and let them play together," Ghalia Raheemy, an Afghani mother of four, told IslamOnline.net Wednesday, October 25, one day after the start of `Eid Al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.
"Otherwise, they won’t get to know what Eid `is," she added. "Back home, you feel `Eid everywhere you go: at homes, at work, on the street and in the neighborhood."
She continued: "But here, we have to create or revive the `Eid feeling in our kids’ hearts to make it a different day for them. And getting them with the Muslim community is the best thing to do to remind them that today is a special Islamic holiday."
The Maghawri family starts their `Eid morning with Fajr prayer and `Eid takbirats (saying Allahu Akbr or God is Great several times) before joining the community for the rest of the day.
"We only have two holidays," the father Nabil Maghawri, who owns a CD and DVD manufacturing business, said.
"So we try to celebrate them as much as we can to show our kids the authentic Muslim holiday. There are lots of Muslims around. We pray here at community centers to accommodate a larger number of Muslims and that is how the kids enjoy it."
There are an estimated five to eight million Muslims currently living in the US, out of a total population of 300 million.
Many of them were born and raised in the United States or have been living here for decades.
According to a recent study by US polling firm Zogby International, only 26% of American Muslims are of Arab origin, with around 33% coming from South-East Asia.
Significant Prayers
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| The `Eid prayer is highly significant for US Muslims. |
American Muslims agree that it is the `Eid prayers that make their day, gathering in big mosques and large indoor and outdoor areas, such as community centers and football stadiums to perform the prayer.
"It is the `Eid prayer that spreads the real spirit of `Eid among all of us," said Basima Salman, a mother of three children.
"Every `Eid, we wake up early in the morning and bring our kids to attend the prayer. Without this prayer and these takbirats, our kids won’t feel the joy of `Eid and they won’t feel any difference between the `Eid and any other day. When they wake up in the morning to attend the `Eid prayer, they say, ‘We are going to the `Eid’," Salman said.
"The `Eid here is different from the `Eid back home," added Ali.
"We always take our kids to the `Eid prayer to understand that this is an Islamic occasion. So, we do all what we can to make it a special day filled with fun and entertainment."
After the` Eid prayer, Muslims usually visit various friends, exchange gifts and make phone calls to distant relatives to give well-wishes for the holiday.
"We visit each other and exchange presents so our kids could get as much presents as possible and that is how they share the joy of `Eid with other Muslim friends," Ali said.
`Eid Programs
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| Children get `Eid gifts from parents and relatives. |
`Eid programs vary from community to another. As some prefer to have open air picnics especially in nice weathers, others prefer having an open day at one of the community members’ houses.
"The community always arranges for special Eid programs," said Ali.
"Today we have a picnic day in the park. It is a very nice weather and the kids will enjoy playing together. We prefer to eat pizzas, sandwiches or to have barbecue in order to give the mothers a day off from cooking."
"We always have a special `Eid program. Sometimes we go to amusement parks or spend the day at the park," added Maghawri.
Bilal Hailey, owner of a company, had a "wonderful" `Eid day.
"We had a nice breakfast with some Muslim families. Then we took a break for two hours before we go to the park and we enjoyed it," he said.
Sonia Hadad, a Tunisian mother of three, said there is lots of fun stuff that they could do in `Eid.
"Kids would enjoy such as movies, Disney Land and Universal Studios, but my husband although he’s an American, he always likes them to be around Muslim kids to feel that it is an Islamic holiday," she said.
Many people also decorate their houses for `Eid.
"That is the only chance the kids will recognize one of our major holidays," said Maghawri.
New clothes are one of the basics during `Eid like all Muslim countries.
"Kids start getting ready for `Eid a night before. They decorate their rooms; get some gifts to their friends, wrap gifts together and everyone buys new clothes," said Maghawri.
Palestinian Samar Muneer wants to give her children what she missed in the good old days.
"At our kids’ age, we never celebrated `Eid or bought new clothes," she said.
"We were never enjoying `Eid because we were living under the Intifada, so now we try to give our kids what we couldn’t get because of our political situation. We still feel the pain for our country and family who suffer there, but it is our kids’ rights to enjoy these blessed days," added the mother of two.
Disappointed
By American Muslims are still disappointed at state refusal to grant them a day off on `Eid day.
"As you know, `Eid here is not an official holiday for everyone," Muneer said.
"Most of the time, my husband can’t spend the `Eid with us, unless if the `Eid comes in a weekend. But I always take the kids to the `Eid prayer and we celebrate it with our community."
For college Students, it is also hard to get a day off in `Eid.
"I am returning back to my college because my class will start at 1:00 p.m.," said Ayah Sabbah.
Some mothers feel worry on how their kids would feel when they become teenagers and still don’t have a regular holiday like other Americans.
"I am worry how it becomes for my kids when they become teenagers and find others having a normal holidays while they don’t," said Hadad.
"We had a stress almost three weeks ahead of `Eid to plan for our holiday. Even my husband has his own business, but still he can’t leave his work. We feel very happy when `Eid comes in the weekend," said Hadad.
Although Muslim kids usually have schools on `Eid days, most of their parents do not send them to schools in the first day of `Eid.
"They take a day off after getting an advanced permission from their schools," said Maghawri.
"Our kids need to feel that the `Eid day is a very special day for Muslims, especially because they know that all of their peers attend a regular school day."
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