eid mubarak

riaad,tasneem and the kids (the next generation of pahads)

shehnaaz and azad

azad

ahmed,arshad and azad, our babies first eid
we celebrated eid today, the end of ramadaan, i have to admit, it was good to have that biryani for lunch today. family popped in during the course of the day, so the eating and drinking went on into the night,...have to admit that it was a good day. it was also Azaad's first eid, he is now 4 months old, and a bundle of joy, despite all the new faces and the noise, he even missed his afternoon sleep, he kept on going, i think his parents are probably feeling the brunt of all that excitement tonight. that is what is so great about being the aunt, we got all the fun and smiles, and "choochoo" (the pet name, hope it doesn't go all the way to school, with the little guy)got to go home around 7.30pm...hopefully he will be exhausted from all the excitement, and sleep through the night.

as a child, the most exciting thing was receiving of "eidi",(usually money, which uncles and aunts and parents give the kids on eid)..for the first time, i was giving out eidi, and the satisfacttion was immense, choochoo is to little to understand it now but i'm sure he will be hitting me up for the eid pay out when his old enough to count :)then there will also be the excitement of the new eid clothes and shoes.
as a little girl, i remember the joy of eid shopping, every year we would get two new sets of clothes, one for eid day, the other for vahi eid (the next day), a new set of pyjamas,shoes,and underwear, some years even new bed linen,...the greatest fun, was keeping the secret of the new outfit from your friends, then on the big day, we got up at the crack of dawn, to dress in our finery and show off to the other kids,....time's have changed somewhat, and new clothes are not something parents buy twice annually, kids seem to have greater demands, and the media adds to the need for consumables, designer labels, hip, trendy wear. since choochoo arrived i am shocked that a babies sneaker could cost as much as an adults shoe,i mean, little nike's etc could cost you around $100.00 in this town, is that insane,..or am i just out of the loop, bare feet sounds good to me.:)

then there's the annual pilgrimage on eids day,...to the zoo lake, i've out grown that years ago, but essop my dad's brother still loves to stroll around there meeting and greeting,...the zoo lake was where all the families congregated after mosque and eid lunch, (biryani being served in every household,...regardless),..the older kids to meet prospective sweethearts, and the younger to have ice-cream, play on the jungle gym, while parents caught up with long lost friends,..everyone dressed up to the nines, in their new clothes,...families would even come into the city from outlying areas to be a part of the zoo lake ritual, this still happens today,..though things have taken on a different dimension, ....the kids have cars, piked hair and nike shoes,..(white shoes,..and pointy, if you are the hip dude)despite weather conditions, rain or shine, as much skin as possible must be exposed(considering that the month of ramadaan was spent in a headscarf and cloak, this one always amazes me)...the parents have long given up the zoo lake, cars are waxed to a fine shine,...music blares from the sound system,,and the designer outfits compete for attention.what has happened to the day,...when eid was about family and innocence,....the world has changed quite rapidly, i am not so sure that this change is for the better.

some things change, and some stay the same,biryani,(soul food)...is still on the menu, despite the fact that shell fish, and other exotic quisines have found their way on to the menu,...in this hosehold eid would not be eid without the biryani:)it is still a day of celerbration, fun and laughter, deserved after a month of deprevation,...a rejuvenation of the soul,and a joyful greeting to the new year ahead.

from me to all of you, a happy eid and a prosperous year ahead.