Essa Abusubaih

February 6, 2017

English 100

Eid in the Old Days

Muslims have two major holidays, and each of these holidays has a story. The first Eid is, which comes after Ramadan. People celebrate after they have fasted a whole month. On the other Eid, which is the biggest Eid, people sacrifice a sheep, cow, or camel to spread the meat to the relatives and the poor, following the example of prophet Ibrahim when he wanted to kill his son, but the God gave him a sheep to sacrifice instead of his son. People are happy in the Eid and smiling at each other. Muslims are having a lot of fun and good time with the relatives and the friends during Eid. People also give Eidiah “the present that people give to each other and its usually money”. I don’t visit my relative or hang out with my friends in the Eid since I moved to the United States.

Visiting the relatives is the best part of the Eid holiday. My father used to take me with him to visit my relatives. Visiting relatives usually takes about two days because we go to visit my grandparents, uncles, aunts, my cousins, my father cousins, and the neighbors.  I was always happy to see my aunt’s smile when my father gave her the Eidiah. This kind of holiday taught me a lot of lessons. The first lesson is visiting the relatives and having time with them is the most enjoyable thing for me. The second lesson is, giving gifts to people can makes more love. In the United states these have changed. I don’t have any relatives in the United states, so me and my father we don’t go to visit any in the Eid

Children are rich and free for the whole Eid. During Eid, people give the children money, and children have free time to play all around the city. I used to wait until my uncles came to give me the Eidiah, so I could go and hang out with my friends. I can’t explain how happy was I at those moments and how fast was the time. My Eidiah was up to 25 dollars, and I used to feel I was rich and I can buy whatever I wanted. I used to spend all my Eidiah on candy and eating in the restaurant with my friends. I wish I could be a child again and spend all the Eid playing with my friends, but I can’t. Because I moved to the United States, and I got older.

Eid is not just playing around the city or visiting the relatives, it is also donating money to the needy. In the biggest Eid, the rich Muslims slaughter a sheep, goat, or camel and they give the meat to the poor. I like this part of the Eid when my family and I go to buy the sheep that we would slaughter in the Eid. After my father slaughtered the sheep my mom put each 5 pieces of meat in one bag, so I know to who I will give the meat. Moving to the United States did not stop my father from slaughtering the sheep, but the problem is I have never been there to watch them or help my family because I must stay in the United States until I finish studying. 

   

Most people are happy during these holidays, especially children because they get extra money and they have free time for the whole Eid. I wish I could go back in time to have some fun on the Eid. Meeting relatives and friends and having some good time with them was my best part of the Eid, but I don’t visit them anymore since I moved to the United States. This little change of my life has taken away the happiness of Eid from me. I believe that the family are the ones who makes the Eid beautiful, not the Eid itself.