Non Muslims celebrating Eid al Fitr

[Madridinmymemories]

I live in a very diverse area. This year and last I've noticed a huge increase in my white hippie mum mates attending Eid al Fitr (end of the Eid fasting) celebrations. Down the road from us they get big tables out and shut the road off, it looks a great street party!
My issue is that we (Non Muslims) haven't partaken in Ramadan so why should we get to celebrate the feast bit? If we were really into celebrating every cultural occasion then wouldn't we do the fasting bit as well?

I can't think of an equivalent for another faith joining in on our festivities without doing the religious bit first. Most people eat Easter eggs without having given anything up for lent. Most people nowadays just enjoy the present and food bit of Christmas without thinking too much about Jesus being born.
Am I just being grumpy? I think if I was Muslim I would find non Muslims just joining in the feast bit kind of strange.

don't think it's the same as Christmas as not many people I know go to church at all over
Christmas so it can hardly be classed as a religious holiday anymore.

You what? Of course Christmas is a religious holiday, that is exactly what it is. The fact that many non religious people also choose to celebrate it doesn't stop it from being religious.

I have friends of many faiths and have been invited to join their celebrations many times. I don't see the issue, people coming together having a good time, seems perfect to me.

Well, why not ask your ‘white hippy mum mates’, OP? You sound awfully contemptuous of them. If they’re your friends, surely you can ask whether they were invited by friends or neighbours, or whether it was a general-invitation street party?

its like people celebrating Easter, but not do the Lent beforehand.

Rich, white kids from affluent parts of Bristol flock down to St Paul's for the carnival but they don't give a shit about the issues affecting that area.

That’s an entirely different issue. You are making a judgement about white, rich kids, (without actually knowing what they do and don’t give a shit about) not about non Muslims.

I guess DD would be considered a “white, rich kid”. I can tell you, even at 10 years old, she cares about issues which affect people less advantaged than her. What a horrible sweeping judgement to make.

Maybe just stop judging people.

where did I ever say anything about race? I said non Muslims in my post

You might want to reread the second sentence in your OP.

I’m not sure it’s up to you to try and decide what you think other people should be offended by. Even if you were Muslim you wouldn’t be able to speak for all of them. I’ve never met a Muslim who would be offended by this. Usually they are more than happy for others to join in celebrating and will invite you to join them,

I don’t really understand your point to be honest. My non-Christian friends eat Easter eggs and swap presents at Christmas so how is this different to non-Muslims celebrating Eid? It doesn’t bother me as a Christian so am guessing it doesn’t bother most Muslims

I love the Eid celebrations, lots of my colleagues are Muslim and we’ve had lots of discussions about Ramadan, what it means, leading to other chats about the Hajj and bits of their religion I don’t recall learning about at school. The best bit is all the gorgeous food they bring in after Eid though!

How can people not only accepting but joining in the celebrations of another religion NOT be a good thing?

I am genuinely puzzled! Many of my muslim and jewish friends celebrate Christmas, how could anyone be offended or bothered by that?

Plenty of Muslims in my area celebrate Christmas. What's the issue ?? If it's good fun and food's involved I'd want to be involved too

I'm a Christian and it doesn't bother me in the slightest that non-Christians celebrate Christmas or Easter. Frankly though I find it offensive you say Christmas isn't religious because most people don't go to church. Most people not going to church doesn't change it's religious roots. Whatever you believe, Christmas or Easter wouldn't have existed in the first place if people hadn't believed in the person of Jesus.

To be honest I think we would all be in a better place if we opened all of our celebrations in a more combined way.

Of course there is a line ...if the eid celebrations were done by non Muslims and excluded Muslims that becomes cultural appropriation and certainly it should be respectful but joint celebration is not a bad thing.

As long as people respect the underlying reasons common shared respect for tradition and celebration is a great community superglue.

I don't think you mean it as such but you are being a little pearl clutchy but I suspect you don't mean to be.

Ehhhhhh Christmas, Easter, pancake day........

If Muslims have invited you to join in their celebrations then it’s entirely appropriate to do so. My daughter’s Muslim friend swaps gifts with her at Christmas. You can celebrate the culture and the coming together in joy and celebration.

I have Muslim friends who celebrate Christmas, do the whole tree/Santa/turkey thing and send cards. I'm an atheist and I bloody love Christmas. I can't see how non-Muslims celebrating Eid is any different.

My issue is that we (Non Muslims) haven't partaken in Ramadan so why should we get to celebrate the feast bit? Well, I am white, but my hippy days are long gone and I don't gatecrash or appropriate other people's values or culture for brownie points.

But I do regularly go to end of Eid parties. Because my Muslim neighbours invite me. Well they do when Eid and Rosh Hoshana/Yom Kippur (sorry, not sure which is correct) don't coincide, as then they are all in the nearest synagogue, celebrating the end of a fast together.

The first was with neighbours we had never met. We went not to be rude and were welcomed into the home like long lost family members. I made sure that the next time we were invited I did the right thing and took some sweet treats with us - this was back in the 80s, when baklava wasn't all that easy to find out here in the boonies.

The latest was last year and I took what I now always take - sugar cookies.

Why? Again because I am invited. These people are friends, neighbours, colleagues and I enjoy their company. So if they invite me to a party I usually accept.

Maybe you need to look beyond the end of your nose... if you turned it up less you might see more (as my Nana would have said).

Judgemental, sneery and keen to take offence on behalf of other people.

I wonder why you didn't get an invite?

I am atheist but most definitely take full advantage of Christian festivities like most of this country! Unless you are Muslim and personally take offence then this post is pointless!

OP your first post is just wrong on many levels.

Then I come from a extended family with many religions.

Why should you not join in celebrations? Most people choosing to celebrate Christmas and Easter haven’t been near a church in years. Many people from other faiths send Christmas cards and give presents. It’s a non issue. Celebrating is celebrating.
Who hasn’t been to an Iftar buffet if in the Middle East during Ramadan? It’s fun to celebrate. Sharing and understanding must build tolerance and respect.

I think you should just stop judging people OP. That’s the problem here and that’s what’s leaving you on the outside. You also don’t need to take offence on behalf of people, they can do that themselves if they want to.

I'm glad non Muslims are joining in. I would love that to happen near where I live.

But have muslims invited us? There's a Facebook event, is it aimed at Non Muslims? I don't know. If my hypothetical Muslim neighbour said 'are you coming to mosque on Tuesday night? It'd be great to see you there' then I love to would go, as that's an invitation. My worry is that this an event aimed at the Muslim community, yet non Muslims (many people who don't even live in the area) are assuming it's for them (because the world is centred around them.) I honestly don't know if this is the case but I'm playing devils advocate.

@Autocorrection in your post Also, some 'muslims' do not fast yet celebrate Eid why have you put Muslims in inverted commas like it makes you less of a Muslim to not fast? A lot of Muslims I know don’t fast for health reasons and it doesn’t make them any less of a Muslim, or give them any less right to celebrate Eid because of this.

I think it's absolutely wonderful for cultures to come together in this way to respect and celebrate each others festivals. How lovely! I don't see how it's any different at all to all the countless atheists or people of other religions celebrating Christmas which I also think is lovely.