Saudi students studying outside the Kingdom were not very excited for Eid this year. Many attended classes and focused on their studies while others said Eid mean nothing without their families.
“Us students don’t feel like it’s Eid and Ramadan passed so fast that we hardly even noticed it. I guess the reason is that we are busy with school work and exams,” said Ahmed Bakhsh, student in the UK. “We gathered with friends from Qatar and Kuwait in a fancy restaurant for dinner to celebrate Eid but we all wished to celebrate Eid with our families back home.”
Social media and communication websites helped students send their greetings to their families and friends in the Kingdom.
“As soon as Eid was announced in Saudi Arabia I called my parents via Skype to see their faces. As soon as I saw their smiles and joy in their eyes, I could not help but cry because I missed them and I missed spending Ramadan and Eid with them,” said Salma Jan, marketing student in the US.
“Eid here is like any other day. There are no celebrations or dressing up, especially since I don’t have any Arab friends. All my friends are from the US and Europe so they don’t celebrate any Muslim tradition,” she added.
Abdullah Hulail, an engineering student in the US, said he wished the Saudi Embassy would hold an Eid party and invite all Saudis to celebrate together. “This Eid the embassy is closed and we don’t have anything to do. They just gave us a $10 Eid gift and forgot about the celebration.
I wish they had kept the money and gave us a real Eid,” he said. “In Saudi Arabia, different nationalities celebrate their festivals in their embassies and consulates. Why don’t we have the same where we can meet other Saudis from different states and dress up in our traditional clothing and celebrate at the embassy,” he added.
Medical student in Canada Hussein Abdulwahed said it’s been eight years since he last spent Eid with his family in Dammam.
“I got used to not coming over during Ramadan because I’m busy with school and research. My wife usually prepares a special Eid breakfast and we invite our single and married friends to celebrate it together,” he said. “I did not even speak to my parents yet because of time difference between us.
I cannot wait to graduate and get to celebrate all Eids and traditional celebrations with my family,” he added.
Colorless Eid for Saudi students abroad
