By now we all know that the hope of being "back to normal" is no where in the foreseeable future. A heavy feeling takes over my heart when I think about not being able to wake up and rush to get to the masjid in time for Eid Salah. The chorus of the Eid Takbeer that enlivens the spirit and instills the joy of Eid will somehow seem deadening in the solitude of our homes. Getting ready for Eid will just not be the same. Waking up on Eid will not be the same. Eid will just not be the same. This doesn't mean that Eid 2020 has to be a sucky Eid.
New circumstances are a chance to experiment and enjoy Eid with a different spin. Wake up with the same excitement as you would normally, do little things to celebrate the night before or earlier in the week. Doing things like putting up Eid Decorations and Henna, wearing your best clothes, planning your day will help create the spirit we all seek for Eid. Get your family together and do a fun photoshoot or a choreographed TikTok video. Pray Eid Salah together in Jamaah at home, if you need guidance here is a quick and easy Eid Prayer Guide by Darul Qasim.
Get ready! Even if it's just you and your family, that doesn't mean you need to bum around. It's Eid! So act like it. Buy new clothes if that's your thing....Niswa has a great collection (wink, wink), or wear some of your best clothes you have at home. Put on some makeup, groom up the boys, look and smell your best. This creates a fun and party-like environment, and once that is set, celebrating can be more fun.
Eidi is one of the best parts about Eid. Everyone looks forward to the gifts others will give them and what they will get. But, don't be disheartened because people can't get together. Just because we don't meet at someone's home or in a hall, doesn't mean we can't exchange gifts. Compile addresses of people you want to send things to and have them sent directly to them. If you live close to family and friends, do an Eid Gift Drop-off. Another great thing to also do is give charity on eid and help those whose Eid is not the same as yours! It'll be a source of reward and also a sense of pleasure of helping someone in need.
Try and arrange a drive by with family and meet them in an open area. Of course, it's important you stay an adequate distance apart from one another. Just because we can't be together and celebrate like we normally would, we can make the best of this COVID-19 situation.This would be a great time to exchange gifts if you wanted to. Good food and better company will make a great party at home. Have a game night with those at home or a virtual one over Zoom. That is the great thing about technology, we can be connected while not being in proximity.
Ramadan slowly comes to an end. We all await the sighting of the moon. We all have a new experience ahead of us. It'll be a different experience definitely! But, Eid 2020 certainly doesn't have to be a bad one.
-Written by AK