SISTERS Magazine | August 2012
Creative Motivations’ Ke’lona Hamilton gives us a few fresh and fun ideas to take our ‘Eid festivities from ordinary to extraordinary!
The blessed month of Ramadhan is in full swing and ‘Eid celebrations are soon to follow. For many this means a familiar and sometimes humdrum routine of morning prayers, breakfast, visiting family and friends, and opening gifts before dozing off for the evening. But ‘Eid doesn’t have to be so routine! With a little creativity, you can make your ‘Eid holiday something special that will be remembered for years to come, insha Allah. The following are some inspiring ideas to add some pizzazz to your ‘Eid plans this year. Enjoy!
Decorating ideas
- Use the last few days of Ramadhan to make decorations for ‘Eid. Work together as a family making paper rings and lanterns, hanging lights, or making window and door decorations. This is an excellent way to build up the excitement as you prepare to celebrate the end of the fast.
- Begin making ‘Eid Cards for family and friends. Consider making cards for non-Muslim neighbours that explains a bit about the holiday. Add a small candy or trinket and walk with the family through the neighbourhood dropping them in mailboxes.
- Decide on a theme this year. Experiment with a Hawaiian party, complete with Hawaiian dishes and décor, or a circus or carnival event. Try a Mexican fiesta or Moroccan bazaar, or a beach-themed or safari party. There are tons of themes and ideas to choose from, you decide!
Gift ideas
- If it’s affordable, take everyone to buy new outfits for ‘Eid. Have a trip to the shops and make a day out of it!
- Consider a gift-exchange. Draw names from a bowl and choose a day to take everyone shopping for their secret gifts. This can cut down on the expense of gifts on the parents and encourages everyone to give and receive.
- Make gifts for one another. For young children it could be a simple finger painting. For older kids consider jewellery, clay sculptures, knitted items, etc… Go to a crafts store to get inspiration and supplies.
- Wrap your gifts in gift wrap to make the giving and receiving more exciting.
- Want an original way to give the gifts? Try a present hunt. Hide the gifts around the house or in the backyard and have the kids hunt for them.
- While toys are great, be sure to include some gifts that will help the kids in their deen, like their own Qur’an and Qur’an holder, fun salah and fasting charts, prayer rugs and garments, Arabic study materials, nasheed CD’s, etc.
- If you have non-Muslim family members, consider sending out cards a few weeks before the ‘Eid, announcing the upcoming celebration and include ages, sizes, and gift wishes of the children. This will encourage your non-Muslim family members to reserve gift-giving for the appropriate times, rather than on non-Islamic holidays that your family does not celebrate.
Activities
- If your city allows it, light fireworks for your ‘Eid celebration. Even smaller fireworks like sparklers, snakes, and smoke bombs can be great fun for the whole family.
- Have the kids put on a show! Help them develop a skit, or teach them a nasheed and let them sing it together for the family. You may even try a talent show where everyone in the family gets to showcase some funny or unique talent.
- Choose a colour scheme for your ‘Eid outfits so that everyone can coordinate or make matching T-shirts with your family name and the date and location of the ‘Eid festivities. These can make great keepsakes year after year, and the matching colours/shirts make it easier to spot family members at big events and get-togethers.
- If it’s not already part of your family tradition, on the morning of ‘Eid, take everyone out to breakfast at a local restaurant. This can take some of the pressure off mum and allow the whole family to enjoy the meal together without the added work of preparing and cleaning up after the meal.
- Decide on a special dish that you only make for ‘Eid and cook it together with the kids. This will make everyone look forward to those two special times each year when they get to make and enjoy that special dish.
- Love to bake? Have the whole family work together to create a gingerbread masjid. Look online for inspiration, and let the kids get creative with candy and frosting décor. You can even make gingerbread men of each family member and let them decorate their own characters.
- Can’t get to see all of your extended family? Make a video blog recording your ‘Eid preparation and festivities, then burn all the videos onto a DVD and send them to extended family members with ‘Eid cards!
- Make an ‘Eid scrapbook (online as a photo album or a real one with arts and crafts supplies). This can be a great way to preserve the memory for years to come and may also inspire you to try something new each year.
- Plan a field day with other families in the community. Compete in sports like archery, sack races, tug-of-war and Islamic trivia games. This not only offers a great opportunity to bond as a family, but helps build love and camaraderie in the community as well.
- Take a road trip to a new city or Muslim community. Check out the scenery and local events and see how other communities celebrate their ‘Eid holidays.
- Have a movie night at home! Choose a couple of movies, Islamically-themed or otherwise, and set up a concession stand with popcorn, candy, drinks, etc. Make ‘movie tickets’ from index cards and let the kids pretend to purchase the tickets and buy treats at the concession stand. This will be lots of fun for the whole family and is a great way to end the evening.
Charity
- Need to pay your zakah? Have the kids help put together a food box, and then leave it anonymously on the door-step of a needy family in the morning, before the ‘Eid prayer.
- When preparing ‘Eid meals, make a little extra and donate it to a needy family or to less fortunate members of your community.
- If the kids received new clothes or toys for ‘Eid, encourage them to choose something from their old clothes and toys to donate to someone less fortunate.
These are just a few ideas to help liven up your ‘Eid festivities this year. Doing something different can bring a whole new feeling of excitement to the experience and may help your family find creative ways to bond with and appreciate one another. Try a few out or talk it over with your family and come up with ideas of your own. With a little inspiration and a lot of determination, you can take this year’s ‘Eid from ordinary to extraordinary, insha Allah!
As published in SISTERS MAGAZINE, August 2012 Issue.