How to Build an Eid Tradition That Lasts Generations
My first Ramadan after getting married was tinged with a little bit of sadness.
It was my first Ramadan without my parents and siblings. And as I prepared the foods for iftar, set the table, and took a seat with a date in front of me - I missed all of the Ramadan moments I spent as a teenager and young adult.
What was it about Ramadan specifically that made me miss my family and childhood home? Why this time of the year and not any other?
All of these moments: they become traditions. Memories, time stamps, nostalgia.
Ramadan is a month marked by the same daily rituals and routine. There is suhoor, iftar, worship and taraweeh. These routines become familiar to us. And even more so, if we are blessed, then they are all done in community- with our family and friends.
And it is through these shared traditions that we create and strengthen bonds with our family and our Ummah. As we navigate our different paths in this world, it will be these traditions and their warm memories that will help us to remain connected and thereby hold firmly onto our faith as well, in Sha Allah.
Ramadan and Eid are perfect times to create these traditions as a family and to develop those positive associations that keep us united, and help us stay on the straight path.
Now as I enter this Ramadan with my growing family, I want to make sure that I continue the beautiful traditions I had with my own family, and to also create our own. Here are some ideas that help you brainstorm and start your own wonderful traditions:
Food is a great way to invoke memories. A way to tie this with the sense of community would be to send food gift boxes to neighbors. This could be as simple as baking something with your kids or picking up sweets from the store to deliver to your neighbours for Eid.
Cleaning, organizing and beautifying the prayer area. It's nice to give a little refresh to our homes before Ramadan, especially in places where we want to be spending more time in salah, reciting the Quran and making dua. You can start off with washing your prayer mats, setting a place for your tasbih and Quran for easy access, and putting up some string lights or candles to brighten up the area. And we all know how much we love seeing houses lit up during the December holidays. So why not put on some light decorations outside your house for Eid! There are so many options now- pick the style that suits your family and enjoy the twinkling lights.
Setting our intentions is an important part of Ramadan. We can turn this into a family activity by setting a day where everyone gathers and takes out the time to write down their reflections from their past Ramadan, goals for this year and a list of duas. Keep this in a journal in order to look back and track how your duas have changed, and what habits you were able to adapt or still need to work on.
Zakat-al-fitr is an obligatory charity that eligible families must pay. It’s an important reminder and moment of reflection to remember what is owed to those less fortunate than us to ensure they also partake in the joys of Eid day. We can use this as an example to inculcate in our kids the act of charity, and thinking of others. This can be done by having our kids donate a toy that is in good condition, or setting up a sadaqah box at home for them to put something in as well.
A family activity/ outing on Eid day is a great way to ensure kids have something fun to look forward to (and adults as well)! This can be hosting your family and friends each year, going out for movies, games night, eating out or anything else that your family loves. The important thing is to bring in the element of fun that the whole family looks forward to on that day.
May our efforts to stay on the straight path be rightly guided and accepted. May Allah grant us all a safe and blessed Ramadan filled with worship, remembrance and forgiveness. Ameen.
