Asalamualekom Sisters!
It’s that time again! I’m excited to announce another giveaway!
This is how our Eid al-Adha giveaway will work:
- I’ll ask a question (below)
- Myself and some sisters I like to call my shura team will choose the top 3 answers to receive a prize each.
- All 3 chosen answers will be featured in an article on MO with the reasons why they were chosen inshaAllah.
Each of the Three winners will receive 2 Hijabs of their choice and 1 other item of their choice (could be halal candy or an underscarf or a gorgeous hijab pin… anything) from The Souq.
The question is:
What is something you (or your family) do to make Eid (al-fitr or al-adha) special for yourself, your children and/or those around you?
Tips to have your answer chosen: Be honest, creative, original and stand out!
Winner will be announced November 20th (that’s in 2 weeks)
Don’t forget to check out our amazing sponsor ShopTheSouq.com (you have GOT to see their hijabs! MashaAllah!)
Psst: Don’t forget to make dua for those going on Hajj! And if you’re going, don’t forget to make dua for us!
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November 19, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Asalamualekom sisters
I closed comments but have a layout issue that I wasn't aware of when closing comments. So for now i'll just say, not accepting anymore answers after this for the competition. Jazakom Allahu khairun for all your wonderful answers, may Allah reward you with far more!
November 18, 2009 at 6:00 am
Asalaamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatu
living in rainy old blighty; sometimes making eid salah in the outdoors is a little difficult (there are very few places that faciliate this and it is often cancelled due to poor weather), so usually we go to eid prayer in the masjid. One of our favourite things to do on eid; is get some small food bags and fill them with a selection of sweets, chocolates, and more healthy snacks like low-fat potato crisps (chips) and cartons of juice. Its a simple idea but the kids in the extended family love it; and for some reason no matter how carefully we count it all out, there are always leftover bags (well better than there not being any I suppose!).
A few years back; when I lived up north a sister and I organised an eid gathering mainly aimed at those revert brothers and sisters; and their children who have no-one else. We invited 20 people in total and said but you can bring someone else; in the end over 100 people came mashaAllaah. It was a bit of a tight squeeze as it was held in her in-laws small home, but it was really nice and Alhamdulillaah the majority of our guests ended up being reverts from the ages of in their teens to their sixties and seventies mashaAllaah, and also other Muslims who were living alone or were otherwise away from their family and friends. We did some of the cooking ourselves; but asked people to bring something small themselves; such as a dish, some drink etc. That was in 2002 but its still talked about to this day :).
Sophie
November 16, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Asalaamu'alaikum,
(this is a wonderful contest idea by the way, masha'allah)
As many of the sisters who posted, I am also a convert to Islam as well as my husband.
'Eid was very hard on me the first few years I was a Muslim. We would go to other family's homes to celebrate, if and when they invited us. Depending on their particular culture, that was the way we celebrated. Then one year, we decided to make it a special time, a special day for the two of us- festive and fun, even though we don't have any Muslim family or any children of our own.
Beginning a few years ago, my husband and I instituted a sort of ritual where we get up for the earliest 'Eid prayer, make sure our zakat/qurbani is taken care of. Then, we go to a really fun and unique place for brunch that we'd always wanted to try out. We spend the morning enjoying that and then go shopping for our 'Eid gifts for one another. Recently, we even decided to start visiting sick Muslim patients at our local hospital since my husband initiated a program between our masjid and our local hospital. We figure they may or may not be as alone as we are on 'Eid and it's just a great way to feel good about how the day is spent.
Later on in the evening, we attend any events or dinners we've been invited to-but only after we've dedicated time to these important things we've begun doing.
November 16, 2009 at 1:08 pm
MashaAllah sisters I'm loving your answers! It's definitely getting harder to choose my favorites! MashaAllah!
Keep them coming sisters, a few days left! On the 20th i'll be closing comments and sitting down with my shura sisters to choose our favorite 3 answers (from among these and the ones i've received on twitter and facebook) inshaAllah!
November 16, 2009 at 9:41 am
Ooh, that was long! *blushes some more*
November 16, 2009 at 9:41 am
Sorry for being a bit lazy and failing to post here sooner habibti! *blushes*
Our Eid celebrations have evolved from the time I was a child til now. Back in the day, when I was around 6, my mom would make a big pot of biryani and sweet rice and my dad would buy a huge bag of tortilla chips and we'd go to the park, the zoo, or Sea World. After a while with my siblings in college and then me starting high school, 'Eid became just a day where we'd dress up fancier than other days and chit chat for a bit before heading off to work or to take an exam. This last 'Eid was the most fun we've had in a while. In Ramadan I suggested to buy my brother a gift he'd been desiring for a quite a while, and then it ended up turning into buying gifts for the whole family, gift wrapping them as well, which is something my family never does! Needless to say, my parents were rather amused to see the wrapped gifts, and surprised we even bought stuff for them. Now that I've grown up, I don't really desire being with friends for 'Eid, and my bestest friends are my siblings anyway so alhamdulillah I get to spend 'Eid with them!
To all the reverts who spend the day alone: I love you dearly, and I pray that Allah blesses you'll in the company of good Muslims in the 'Eids to come! <3
November 15, 2009 at 5:42 pm
Asalamu Alaikum!
Well during Eid, nearly every year we spend it with the extended family. After the prayers, we all bundle up into the van in our new clothes, excitement building as we turn onto the street so familiar to us all. All of my aunts, uncles and cousins come to my Grandmother's house, the unifying home that reunites us -if not briefly- for an entire day.
No matter how busy or hectic the previous week was, or how exhausting(yet spiritually fulfilling) Ramadan had been, everyone knows what's going down at Grandma's and it's just a delight to always know what to expect on Eid. Sure the individual Eids may be different, but the lasting memories are always the same. Filled with love and unity :]
Wow, I think I just appreciated my family and Eid so much more!
Thank you for giving me such an opportunity to reflect on it ^_^
November 15, 2009 at 11:26 am
assalamu alaykum
im a revert as well, alhumdulilah, and for me, i dont really have any desire to have it mimic celebrations i used to participate in.
for me and my family ( 3 kids under 4) we are starting to make our own traditions, trying to include as much sunnah related to the two eids
(so we attend eid prayer outside in a park/field, as the prophet did, we make sure we complete Qurban, and zakaat, and the amount u pay at eid al fitr, we also wear our best clothes, not nessecarily new, ect))
we also strive to do other positive things in islam, like kindness to neighbors ( i make them sweets) and keeping ties with family,( we visit my many many many!!! inlaws, masha'allah)
we buy our kids a new outfit each, and a small toy. we also take them somewhere special after our morning brunch with all the inlaws. last eid we had a day at a ride park, and a picnicn on the beach it is located next to. it was such a ball, i think we will be doing it again this eid.
in our homeschooling group b4 eid we try to cover the topic in ways the kids can comprehend. its important to me that they think of eid as more then just fun and presents. because eid is much more then that.
barakallahufeek
Ummhafsa
November 12, 2009 at 4:17 pm
MashaAllah sisters wonderful answers thank you all so much!
InshaAllah i'd love to hear more about what people are doing to make Eid extra special. It's inspirational, unifying and just plain FUN to hear what other people are doing!
We have started a tradition (myself and a friend of mine) of Eid parties for our kids. Balloons, Cakes, Decorations, Party fun, Goody Bags and of course a feast! The kids absolutely love it and it makes it a memorable time they can look forward to! InshaAllah it will also help minimize the left-out or envious feelings they may feel at Christmas and Birthdays as they get older, if we are making this time as special as possible and teaching them that this is our special time as Muslims.
You have a week to give us your answers sisters! It can be a long detailed description or a short Tweet and everyone has one of 3 chances to win gorgeous prizes from our sponsor ShopTheSouq.com!
November 9, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Salam Alaikum!
Well since I am a revert Muslim, I really don't have my own family to celebrate Eid with so I usually spend the night with the first Muslim sister I met before reverting. I go to her home where she lives with her parents and we have dinner together. We will make cookies, watch a movie or hang out with her family or other sisters. The next morning we wake up and get ready for Eid prayer. After prayer we usually go out for brunch with her family and then hang out with our friends by either going to a coffee shop or hang out at home before we go to other homes for lunch/dinner. We always a good time, Alhumdulillah.
With our community growing with so many reverts, InshAllah this year I will be going to a reverts house for brunch. Her family mashAllah is not Muslim, but very open and are letting her host brunch this year inshAllah, so that is where I will be doing after prayer this year.
November 8, 2009 at 12:06 am
Salam Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakatuhu
well living in the western society, we are bombarded with non-muslim festives like christmas, easter, halloween and the like, which we don't participate in. Having 4 young children, i feel it's important to make the most of our Eids, InshaAllah.
Beside the religious parts of Eid, i try to make it special for everyone, especially for the children.
in the past i've decorated the house with lightchains and and neutral tinsel etc. like Eid ul-Adha 2007 i had written Eid Mubarak on the wall with a lightchain, decorated fireplace and stairs aswell. when the children came down in the morning we shot confetti all over and they absolutely loved it! they got their gifts, we had some breakfast and then we enjoyed the rest of the day together, playing and having good food etc.
I'm hoping to keep this spirit up every Eid, especially as the children get older.
Last year i only made a banner, but this year i'm going to use the lightchains again, InshaAllah, but want to make something different, although not sure of what..
November 6, 2009 at 12:02 pm
MashaAllah Zaiynab! Jazaki Allahu khairun for your answer and I pray Allah makes it an easy and enjoyable time for you!
Simplicity is an important message, something we could all have more of.
November 6, 2009 at 11:48 am
Assalamu aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatu =)
Soooo my Eid-al-Adha. Being surrounded by non-muslims I pretty much just have to make it special for myself. I have a lot of ideas for this year. =) Maybe I'll bake myself some cupcakes, go get some of my favorite flavor teas, or stuff myself with some other type of enjoyable food lol. I might make it more special by watching an inspiring movie, like "The Message", or another movie that portrays muslims in a positive light. Then I'll *almost* be with other muslims for my holiday, lol. And of course pray and thank Allah for all that I have and for all the muslims in the world. =) The things I do to make my Eid al adha are pretty simple, not really that extraordinary, but contentment and simplicity is what's personally meaningful for me on holidays. =)
Now everyone else reading this needs to comment and tell their answers as well!!! =D