How Eid Festivities in Fredericton Rejuvenate the Meaning of Eid
(‘Festivities’, by Incé Husain)
Last week, Muslims across the world celebrated Eid al-Adha, a holiday following the annual pilgrimage of Hajj. The Muslim community in Fredericton united in Odell Park with festivities of ethnic foods, vibrant dress, and picnic blankets across sunlit grass; volleyball nets, scooters, and water guns kept children at the event captivated and laughing amidst the socialization.
As Muslims are a minority group in Fredericton, the way they celebrate Eid has changed, shifting from ingrained family traditions to commemorating personal connections to the holiday.
Halimah El-Husari, a Palestinian American who moved to Fredericton two weeks ago, shares that the spirit of Eid is ‘to feel that you belong to a community’, and that the diversity in Fredericton allows community-building to occur across nationalities.
“You see different cultures and people from around the world celebrating Eid in their different ways. We’re united as one, especially when it comes to Eid prayer,” says El-Husari. “(In Canada) it’s more open, it’s more diverse, (with) different communities.”
El-Husari shares that the lack of formalized Eid traditions in Fredericton somewhat intensifies the spirit of Eid. In Kuwait where she lived, she describes Eid traditions as family-oriented, with cycles of visiting and inviting people to feast together. In Fredericton, she finds Eid to be more about ‘actually enjoying the spirit itself’.
“We do miss the family visits,” says El-Husari. “But overall the joy of Eid…surprisingly, I found it more in Canada… especially when it comes to the kids.”
For El-Husari, the happiness of Eid comes from ‘letting the kids enjoy and have fun’. She considers Eid in Fredericton to focus more on children, with the celebrations including joyful social activities for them. She says that children are traditionally on the outskirts of Eid celebrations, simply given money and candies instead of a true presence in the festivities.
Batool Maallah, an eleventh grade Iraqi student attending Fredericton High School, moved to Fredericton from Dubai nine years ago. She believes the lack of socialized Eid traditions in Fredericton - like attending the mosque and sacrificing sheep - allowed her to reflect more deeply on their value.
“In Canada… what I appreciate more is the value of Eid,” says Maallah. “In Dubai, (the traditions) were more of something you just did as part of Eid, but in Canada you really find the value of what you did back there.”
The lack of Eid in Fredericton’s social atmosphere also incites poignancy and nostalgia.
Maallah remembers Eid festivities in Dubai as very celebratory, with daily city life revolving around its anticipation much like Christmas in Fredericton. She says that the absence of that familiarity in Fredericton makes her more introverted.
“In Dubai, it was more of a celebratory thing… everything is closed on that day, you have banners flying across, everyone’s celebrating it even if you’re not Muslim” says Maallah, “I was around my family and people who were more similar to me - since in Canada there aren’t many Iraqi people. I enjoyed it more because there were people around you and that’s the spirit. I’m more introverted here than I am there.”
El-Husari notes the shock and isolation of having entered a Fredericton Walmart a week before Ramadan - a holy month for Muslims preceding Eid al-Fitr - and seen its walls and shelves devoid of festivity. She says that the Muslim community in Fredericton has to work hard for Eid to have a presence, unlike in Muslim countries where the social momentum of Eid is inherent.
“Being united (as minorities) gives us a different feeling than actually being in an Arab (or Muslim) country,” says El-Husari. “As a minority we have to make it feel more valuable.” ♦