So We Celebrated Eid Today in Pakistan

by rumana husain | October 1, 2008 at 09:06 am
2276 views | 60 Recommendations | 25 comments

Photos

Eid Mubarak

Eid Mubarak

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uploaded by fakhre_x

In Pakistan, Eid is incomplete for women without the last minute rush for glass bangles that match with the color of their Eid dress; getting someone to make decorative patterns with henna on both hands (some girls also want it on their feet); new sandals; new everything…Tailors, who are bent on their sewing machines during the entire month of Ramazan, busy stitching Eid clothes, finally handed over the clothes to their last client at perhaps 4.00 this morning, making that stitch in the nick of time for Eid. However, besides heading to the shopping centers, tailors, dyers, and beauty parlors, women also head towards their kitchens to prepare special dishes, in particular 'sewaiyyan' (vermicelli) to be served not only to the family but also to the stream of relatives and friends who are expected to drop in to say: “Eid Mubarak!” during the Eid holidays.

The elusive new moon was sighted last night after much ado, heralding the first of Shawwal on Wednesday, and people rushed to the bazaars for last minute all-night shopping for the much-awaited festival. The (fasting) month of Ramazan (Ramadan) could either be of 29 days or 30 days, depending on the sighting of the moon for the beginning of the month that follows it. The Islamic calendar is also called the Hijri calendar – a lunar calendar – and its year is approximately 10 days shorter than the solar year. But although the holy days are celebrated on fixed dates, the dates shift 10 – 11 days earlier each successive solar year.

 

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2
rumana husain

thanks for the GS flag rachel! it has been a busy, full day...and time to say goodnight from this part of the world!

Rachel Nixon
Rachel Nixon
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 09:11 on October 1st, 2008

rumana husain, I like this story. Eid Mubarak!

Paschen
Paschen
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 09:32 on October 1st, 2008

Eid Mubarak Rumana Hussain.

I do have to ask, what does Eid Mubarak mean exactly?

Amy Judd
Amy Judd
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 09:36 on October 1st, 2008

rumana husain, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Great job - sounds lovely

mchawk
mchawk
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 09:53 on October 1st, 2008

rumana husain, I like this story. It's good stuff.


Sounds like a fantastically busy day - I'm impressed you found the time to report it!

LotusFlower
LotusFlower
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 10:09 on October 1st, 2008

rumana husain, I like this story. It's good stuff. Eid is a time for hope a time for celebrating and sharing - thanks for sharing a little bit of your Eid with us.

Eid mubaruk!

at last we can stop looking

for the moon and party

LF


Christina 123
Christina 123
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 10:16 on October 1st, 2008

rumana husain, I like this story. It's good stuff.  Happy Eid Muburak, Rumana!  I have uploaded a photo I took at a friend's Hindu wedding recently as I was struck by the henna tattoo-ed hands.  What is the origin of this custom, as it seems to be inter-cultural?

Heritage
Heritage
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 12:19 on October 1st, 2008

rumana husain, I like this story. It's good stuff.

rahul
rahul
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 15:32 on October 1st, 2008

rumana husain, I like this story. It's good stuff.

0
Ripi


Rumana, Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri as they say in Malaysia when greeting during Eid Mubarak.Great to hear about the celebrations in Pakistan and glad to be able to share some of my pictures showing people thronging the Ramadan Bazaar around the Jalan Masjid India (Indian Mosque Street) area in Kuala Lumpur for their Hari Raya (Eid) shopping and to buying food for breaking of fast. I guess it's the same the world over.

Ripi has contributed a photo to this story.

0
steveballmer

That's ok by me, now back to work!

0
rumana husain

paschen, "eid" is the name given to the festival, and "mubarak" is 'felicitations'. simply put, it is the equivalent of 'happy christmas'. christina, henna - or mehendi, as we call it in southasia - is believed to have originated in ancient egypt. as you might know, the color is acquired by grinding the leaves of this shrub called lawsonia inermis, belonging to the lythraceae family. the custom of getting a temporary tattoo of decorative designs for special celebrations spread throughout the middle-east, perhaps central asia too. the moghuls brought it to the indian subcontinent in the 12th century.

thank you ripi for the images from kuala lumpur. yes, i know that street you talk about. i have been there.

amyjudd, mchawk, moonwolf, lotus flower, heritage and rahul. your flags and comments made it worthwhile for me to write this report the last thing before going to bed after a hectic, busy, tiring, but happy eid day.

0
Christina 123

Thank you Rumana, for a most interesting article and thanks for taking the time to explain the popularity of henna! 

 

 

0
Paschen

Thank you Rumana, It is a great story and great feed back as well.  

0
harimenon4u

People gathered for Eid gah at Cochin , Kerala, india

harimenon4u has contributed a photo to this story.

0
caduser2003

Thank you Rumana !

0
rumana husain

harimenon, caduser, thank you for contributing your eid photos. the 'samosa' look yummy!

0
Doctor New Doc

Cairo-Egypt: Beautiful Illuminating Decorations outside an Egyptian Shop.
Ramadan In Egypt-Part2-Tuesday October 9, 2007 - 09:07am (EET)-NewDoc's Blog-Yahoo360
Link: http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-k8HwHKE1aaO6iVbxsZ4iQ_Ze?p=1027

Doctor New Doc has contributed a photo to this story.

0
rumana husain

doctor new doc, thanks for adding the picture from cairo. i like the crescent and star decorations.

Jordan Yerman
Jordan Yerman
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 05:19 on October 2nd, 2008

Thanks for sharing this!

0
rumana husain

johnny summerton and jordan, thank you for the flag. johnny thanks for your comment and greetings. i have been busy visiting as well as entertaining visitors at our place and not spending enough time behind my computer or watching tv either. surely it would have been interesting to learn about eid documentaries on french tv...

Habib Hassn
Habib Hassn
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 05:11 on October 3rd, 2008

rumana husain, I like this story. It's good stuff.

0
Habib Hassn

Eid Mubarak

Wish you all the best

azzayindia
azzayindia
flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 07:03 on October 3rd, 2008

rumana husain, I like this story. It's good stuff.

a very happy Eid to you and your nation. May peace sweetnes be rest0ored between the two neighbouring countries

0
rumana husain

habib hassn,thanks.wish you the same. azzayindia, thanks for your good wishes and the comment. hope you are well.

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