EID Al-Fitr is a little more than a week away. The most common Arabic greetings for this holiday are “Kul Aam Wa Antum Bi Khair,” (May you be well with every passing year), “Eid Saeed,” (Happy Eid) “Eid Mubarak” (Blessed Eid) and “Taqabbal Allahu minnaa wa minkum (May Allah accept [the fast and worship] from us and from you). If you’d like to hear a variety of Eid greetings from different nations, then watch the video — www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqA-Hq760Cs.
If you don’t know much about Eid Al-Fitr, the Islamic festival which takes place at the end of Ramadan, the British Council has illustrated a lovely little story in which a girl tells all about Eid, and why it’s her favorite holiday. Access the story through www.britishcouncil.org/kids-stories-favourite-day-eid.htm. After the story there is the opportunity to play a puzzle game, the successful completion of which results in the lighting of virtual firecrackers. Some new Muslims will be experiencing the Eid Al-Fitr celebration for the first time. Read about Idris Tawfiq’s First Eid at www.readingislam.com.
For Muslims looking to make the most of this holiday, turn to the resources at www.soundvision.com/info/eid/. The site offers articles such as “16 ways to make this Eid special for your family,” and “Eating Middle Eastern this Eid.” If you’d like to expand further on the concept of having Middle Eastern foods on the table this holiday, then consider the list of more than 100 recipes from the Arab world at www.ummah.com/family/recipes.html. And if some of your family members or friends are vegetarians, accommodating their preferences is a snap by turning to the vegan recipes from African Muslim nations at www.ivu.org/recipes/african/.
Sharing is an essential aspect of the holiday and Andrea Useem has shared her idea of what Eid Al-Fitr should be at www.howcast.com/guides/1169-How-To-Celebrate-Eid-AlFitr?rev=1. It’s a nice effort but could use some additions and Howcast members are invited to improve this Wiki Guide. Joining Howcast is free. Ever wonder about what Eid is like for other families? At the photo-sharing site Flickr, some users have made their holiday photos viewable to anyone in the Flickr community. Check them out through www.flickr.com/photos/tags/eid/.
One note about online security this holiday season. Electronic greetings have been very popular in recent years. But many people now refuse to follow a link to an e-greeting site since this has been a tactic to lure individuals into downloading malicious code. It’s better to design your own Eid greeting by combining a low resolution graphic with a holiday message. Make it a family affair by asking your children to create something unique. Then send that e-card off by e-mail to family and friends.
While preparations for Eid have begun, some of the most precious days of Ramadan are still ahead. Please take a moment to see how a group of Muslims in South Africa are using digital resources to spread Ramadan’s message of peace and devotion. The community website, www.Ramadan.co.za, provides a view of the experience of Ramadan in different countries and different cultures. A part of the website is the feature “Ramadan Stream,” which brings together all the content related to Ramadan from around the Internet. Ramadan Kareem.
