The Joy Called Eid

For me, Eid brings fond memories of togetherness and joy. On the day before the day that is expected to be Eid, most of my cousins we would sit expectantly before the TV waiting for news about the sighting of the new moon. Either we or our neighbours would know the news and share it with the other. We would rush over to our neighbours' place to put mehendi. there was one good artist and about 10 hands and I'm sure aunty had a hard time creating designs according to our satisfaction.:) then there were the fireworks (I was always the brave one, who would rush off to the innermost rooms once they started on all those banging ones). By the time, we were finished we would all be carted off to our beds. then there would be the complex problem of the mehendi on our hands. None of us wanted them spoilt, nor did we want to miss out on the fun of all of us cuddling together. We compromised by wearing envelopes on our hands, which solved the problem of both the mehendi getting spoilt, and the one where the mehendi would be there on the face of the person near us.:)

Then next day would dawn clear and bright, with the Thakbir echoing from all of the mosques. We would rub off all the dried up mehendi and be thrilled to see the dark maroon designs. We would wear our new dresses, wish each other Eid Mubarak. Then to the beach for the communal prayer. There we would meet many of our other friends and share our joy. Back to home (and delicious food:)). At night, we would get together again, and we had the main attraction, Eid money from every grownup (yahoo!!!:))

But now, we have all grown up and the celebrations have changed. We still put mehendi on our hands. But there is no clamouring crowd around aunty. Everybody is busy these days. Most of us, would arrive only the next day. Our pre-Eid celebrations are over long before 9. And when I go to sleep, I don't have to worry about the mehendi getting spoilt anymore. Eid mornings, we dont have to rush to the bathrooms before it gets booked by somebody else. Fireworks are no longer part of the list, and most days Eid nights are spent in our own homes, or maybe visiting some relatives and having dinner at a restaurant.

Maybe I sound a bit too nostalgic, but sometimes I do miss that Eid when we were all together. Maybe someday we would all get a really free Eid and we could have fun just like before....