JEDDAH — Ramadan is about to end and we thank Allah Almighty for enabling us to complete it successfully. We glorify Him for His bounties and blessings.
Eid Al-Fitr is drawing near. It is an occasion when hearts are cleansed of any malice. It is a day for happiness and forgiveness. Families gather and children play and everyone is happy.
Eid was and still is a good occasion for the gathering of the family and relatives. People gather on the city's streets or in the district, neighborhood or in places of worship to exchange Eid greetings.
In the past, Eid was an occasion of great joy that prevailed in every village and city. Eid used to have a special flavor. The old and young used to wait for it every year.
It was an important event in the life of every family and they used to make preparations for it well in advance, days and weeks ahead. Life used to be organized in coordination with its requirements. All used to live in the Eid atmosphere before its advent. The feast used to have a special flavor, which used to last several days after Eid.
On Eid day every family used to visit other families. These visits were not a duty, obligation or commitment because they were a strong desire in every person. Everyone was keen to check on his family, relatives, neighbors and fellow countrymen. The visits were at the level of individuals or families. Sometimes the gatherings were large and they visited the majority of the houses if not all. This increased the atmosphere of celebration during the feast and enabled people to keep away from the worries and problems of life.
This was Eid in the past. But we notice today that every Eid differs from the one that preceded it to the extent that Eid Day has become an ordinary day for us, unlike in the past when we used to wait for it patiently.
Amer Tajuddin, an expatriate, says: “Undoubtedly, Eid Al-Fitr has great spirituality, as the family, relatives and friends gather. They receive one another with clean and pure souls. In brief, I don't feel the joy of Eid if I don't observe these matters.
“With the change in life's circumstances and difficult global political conditions, celebration of Eid has receded a lot. We no longer find the gathering of children in the streets with their new clothes and plastic weapons.
“These have been replaced by modern electronic games. I cannot conceal my longing for someone to give me an amount of money as Eid gift. But the opposite is what is happening to me because my sister's sons take all the change I have in my pocket. Of course, this is as sweet as honey to my heart.”
Meanwhile, Irfan Seth, another expatriate, says: “Eid celebration has changed a lot these days. Even the customs and traditions have changed. In the past, we used to wait for Eid so that the family comes together and celebrates the feast. But these days, we greet one another through SMS messages on mobiles or through WhatsApp. The family ties have decreased. The same applies to the way we welcome Eid. Years ago we used to prepare sweets, purchase new clothes, firecrackers, decorations and other items. But today these have decreased a lot or have even become extinct.”
Seth added: “Even the way we celebrate Eid has changed. In the past, several days before Eid we used to see the markets crowded with people, both adults and children, and the happiness could clearly be seen on every face. The streets used to be crowded with shoppers till late at night.” Fatima Al-Harbi's opinion is no different from that of Tajuddin in terms of the changes that have occurred in our recent times. She said: “They have even changed the feeling of happiness. Eid in the past had a special flavor. The preparations for Eid used to take place a week ahead.
“I recall Eid of my times because it used to take place in the middle of the academic year. Schools used to close and their playgrounds were converted to Eid recreation parks. Games were played everywhere. We used to buy firecrackers to burst them in the night. We used to enjoy seeing their magical colors. They created a magnificent atmosphere despite the simplicity.
“We would visit one another. We used to gather in my grandma's house. But today we find that the old people have died and the families no longer come together the way they used to do before. Even children spend most of their time in front of computers.
“They communicate with one another through the social media. Eid has lost its old joy that every person used to feel.”
