Eid is an Arabic word which means ‘festival’. Muslim’s from all around the world celebrate Eid twice a year with a gap of 2 months and 10 days between them. The first one is named ‘Eid-al-Fitr’ which marks the end of Ramadan i.e., a month of fasting and the other one is named ‘Eid-al-Adha’ which marks the end of Pilgrimage (Hajj). Both of these are mark the end of a timely worship of Muslims, required by their religious compulsions.
‘MEETHI EID’ OR ‘EID-AL-FITR’
‘Eid-al-Fitr’ marks the end of Ramadan which is another religious obligation for the Muslims. Literally,
Eid-al-Fitr means ‘Festival of breaking the fast’. It is celebrated for 3 days; it starts by offering the Eid prayers at an open space, then greeting one another ‘Eid-Mubarak’, having breakfast with close ones and distributing sweets among one another. It goes on with Eidi (a small sum of money) given to the kids for the celebration and charity is also a part of this celebration, as poor are not forgotten at any point in a Muslim’s life. Since Muslims spend a month fasting, they’re forbidden to fast on Eid, as it is a special gift, a day of celebration from Him.
‘MEATY EID’ OR ‘EID-AL-ADHA’
After the celebration there’s a gap of two months and the first 10 days of the third Islamic month from then are spent performing the pilgrimage (Hajj) and on the 10th day, Eid-al-Adha is celebrated all over the world. Hajj is performed only in Saudi Arabia in Makkah and Madinah, Muslims from all around the world apply for Hajj, the ones accepted get a chance to visit Saudi Arabia and perform this religious obligation. Eid is celebrated by sacrificing farm animals such as Goats, Sheep, Cows, Bulls and Camels etc. The sacrifice is done in a way that the meat is distributed into three portions, one for the poor (charity), one for the relatives and one for self-consumption. Although only a handful of Muslims get a chance to perform Hajj annually, this sacrifice is expected to be performed by Muslims from all over the world. The celebrations go on by cooking the meat in spices or having barbecues with friends and family and it goes on for 4 days.
A few things that are common between both the Eid’s is that ‘charity’ has been given a great focus and it can also be noticed that both the festivals have been given as a gift to the Muslims, by their God, for their worship.
Being a Pakistani, food has always been my comforter, be it me getting happy over a happy meal or my father asking me to go to school just to get sweets in return. Food is not just about eating, its a sentiment that connects people with each other. I started writing for Food Tribune because of my love for food.
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