Every year it\u2019s the same: we think about it three days before, we rush between two cake-making competitions, and we end up with tickets in envelopes. It\u2019s not a bad thing; Eid is part of the tradition. But Eid is also the opportunity to offer things that last, that carry the meaning of the celebration, and that we can find year after year.<\/p>\n
Here are twelve ideas sorted by person, from children to grandparents, not forgetting the guests who receive you that day.<\/p>\n
Offering gifts is not a requirement on the day of Eid, but it is one of the most natural ways to share the joy. The Prophet \ufdfa encouraged giving gifts in general:<\/p>\n
\nThey drifted apart and fell in love<\/p>\n
\u00abGive yourself gifts, you will like yourself more.\u00bb<\/p>\n
Hadith reported by al-Bukhari in al-Adab al-Mufrad (594)<\/cite>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Eid is also the day when we visit our families. It is the heart of the silat ar-rahim<\/em> (Kinship<\/span>), the maintenance of kinship ties: \u00abWhoever loves that his livelihood be expanded and his life prolonged should maintain his kinship ties\u00bb (reported by al-Bukhari, 5986, and Muslim, 2557). A gift brought during these visits is a concrete way to honor them.<\/p>\n
For children<\/h2>\n
1. The eidiya, but with a real staging<\/h3>\n
The\u2019eidiya<\/em> (Eid al-Adha<\/span>) remains the favorite gift of children. Slip it into an envelope with their name on it, with a little note: an invocation, a compliment about their Ramadan, something they are proud that they learned this year. They will keep the envelope longer than the money.<\/p>\n
2. A wooden word for their room<\/h3>\n
A \u00abBismillah\u00bb above the desk, a \u00abSalam\u00bb on the door, a \u00abAlhamdulillah\u00bb near the bed. Chosen together, the word becomes theirs. This is often how everyday Arabic is instilled in children who grow up here (we explain each word in the our guide to Muslim words<\/a>).<\/p>\n