JEDDAH — Eid here is a family occasion, where traditional customs will be revived throughout the annual Eid festival.
After the Eid mashhad prayer in the morning, families unite and start their day of celebration.
Jeddah's annual Eid festival has lots of events to choose from. For entertainment, families can attend theaters, fireworks, or stage performances.
Folklore shows include different dances such as the popular Mizmar, Khebeity, Yunbawai, Bahri, and others.
A dance wouldn't be complete without the Hijazi tradition of ‘majas', where a professional singer leads the performance.
Eid is the time when kids enjoy celebrating together in lots of special activities. There are various contests offering games and prizes, held in malls, theme parks, and public parks.
Every year children enjoy attending theater performances at the festival, featuring popular characters and cartoon themes. For adults, there are also various plays and comedy shows.
In the heart of downtown Balad, the Historic Jeddah Festival gives visitors a nostalgic glimpse of how Eid was in the old days. There are storytellers that sit with children and narrate accounts of how Hijazi families spent their Eid once upon a time.
Visitors can also see old-fashioned games and play on children's rides that are restored to bring back their authenticity.
Whether families are walking around the beaches, park walkways, or theme parks, different kinds of food is offered all day long. Some people prefer to eat out for brunch, late lunch, or dinner.
At night people stay up and gather at the beaches to watch the annual fireworks display. Fireworks are usually the perfect ending after an eventful day of festivity.
Whichever activity people choose to do during the holidays, the most important factor for happiness is reuniting with the entire family during this special time of year. It's a time for Muslims to celebrate coming out of a month of spiritual renewal.
