Assalaamu alaykum
Every year when the Eid time is approaching... I haunted by.. you know by what?
X-mas memories.
As a revert I carry a baggage where the non-Islamic past (such as holidays) and emotions and memories are making a heavy stone that brings down my Eid Spirit. Yes it does!
I wonder if there will be a day when I am totally free of making comparisons between X-mas and the Eid. I still often feel very sad on the Eid as I cannot really catch the spirit. The society around really does not help, as it did not live Ramadan and will not celebrate the Eid with us.
But the thing is... a child that was born Muslim... he has no memories of being loaded with chocolate on the X-mas eve. No memories of endless X-mas cartoons and movies. No memories of scents, traditional holiday meals. No memories of aunts and grannies coming over. He has never tasted X-mas.
I may not ever really grow to love Eid on the emotional level (though I hope I will, with the help of Allah) but I can create traditions that will define Eid for my own little crew.
It doesn't have to be anything BIG (like X-mas traditions usually are not either) but it needs to be something, that introduces one to the spirit of the eid; welcomes to the celebration after the long month of fasting. Something that makes one feel warm and happy.
And even if we would not fully enjoy the Eid preparations and would never really grow to be very fond of the Eid itself (on a deep, emotional level that is not build only about our current values and beliefs, but where our whole life is present with all the memories) I am sure that our children will learn to love our two Eids and once grown up, married and introduced to parenthood, they just might turn on the anasheed You always did, to eat the dish You always made for them... That they will smell and taste the Eid the way we used to know X-mas.
My son, he is sleeping his Eid Morning gift so close he can reach it in a nanosecond when he wakes up. I ask Allah to bless him and all of us, with a beautiful Eid full of joy and happiness.
Eid Mubarak for each and everyone.
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That could be a good idea, but the best way is to study the sunnah on how to make Eid more lively. It's not just about lighting up homes with pretty candles, or making our cookies look pretty. Why not visit the orphans, or the elders who are left alone? You could visit the poor people, and ask how they are. So many things we could come up with, but the key is to make others happy first. :)
ReplyDeleteAssalam Alaikum dearest sister,
ReplyDeleteI'm just noticing that you havn't posted since sept. Inshallah everything is well. However, as a convert myself I just wanted to say that I do understand what you are talking about. I found that what has helped me most is really reading about Ramadan and Eid traditions from others.
This time of the year is a bit harder for us than as you said those born into Islam as we do remember and it's our childhood memories that we carry.
It is important to continue to learn and grow withing Islam, and you will find the middle ground inshallah.
Adib sure, and the FIRST one to take care of is that own family of ours. Unfortunately where I live the Muslim community is very small and practising charity is a challenge itself. Bringing out the other aspect does not count out the other aspect you know ;)
ReplyDeletekulthum wassalamu alaykum alhamdulillah all good just not posting when not having anything to say I guess...I've been a Muslim for a bunch of years allready alhamdulillah but the challenges are surely never ending!