CAIRO — As Ramadan draw to a close, Muslims around di world dey prepare to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, wey mean ‘festival of di breaking of di fast.’ Dis annual celebration, wey follow after one month of fasting, spiritual reflection, and prayer, dey marked with joy and community gatherings.
Dis year, some Muslims dey face significant events wey fit change di way dem celebrate. For Gaza, dis na di second Eid al-Fitr wey dem go spend since di war start. After Israel end di ceasefire with Hamas, di situation don escalate sharply. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu order di recent strikes directly after Hamas demand to free remaining hostages as condition for di ceasefire. Dis conflict don result in over 50,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza Health Ministry.
Di war follow di deadly attack on October 7, 2023, where Hamas militants kill near 1,200 people for Israel and take about 250 hostages. Dis tension put a damper on di holiday spirit of many people for Gaza.
In other parts of di Middle East, like Syria, citizens dey prepare to celebrate their first Eid since di fall of Bashar Assad‘s long rule. While many dey relieved, di transition still dey witness serious violence wey raise concerns among di people. Dat one fit cloud di holiday atmosphere for dem.
For di United States, where some Muslim immigrants don feel di pressure of di previous administration’s strict immigration policies, Eid celebrations still thrive. Muslims dey gather for prayers, break fast, and share festive meals to usher in di celebration.
Eid al-Fitr falls on di lunar calendar, so di exact date dey shift each year. Dis year, di first day of Eid dey expected to start around March 30, but di date fit differ across countries and communities.
In Indonesia, many people dey engage in di mudik tradition, where dem dey travel back to their hometowns for di celebration. Dis means packed airports and heavy traffic as people dey rush to reunite with family members. Di markets before di holiday dey filled to di brim with shoppers wey dey buy new clothes, sweets, and snacks.
Malaysia also dey observe homecoming traditions, with prayers in di mosque early in di morning and visiting family graves as part of di celebration. Di open house tradition dey allow friends and family to visit one another, enjoying local dishes like ketupat and rendang. Elders also dey give children money inside green packets to mark di occasion.
For Egypt, families dey partake in Eid prayers surrounded by a festive vibe. Children dey often wear new clothes and receive cash gifts called ‘eidiya.’ Preparations for Eid don include making special cookies wey dey dusted with powdered sugar.
In di U.S., souvenir dey take di form of vibrant community events filled with games and activities for children. Celebrations fit include face painting and balloon art to engage families and create a joyous atmosphere.
As di holiday brings joy to many, it also dey highlighted by di realities of their current situations. In communities wey dey affected by war and change, di festive spirit find ways to manifest amid struggles.
