in wanting to send muslim dc to school tomorrow?

[pukkapatch]

because its not as if they will have loads and loads of fun at mil house. no one turns up there till after two anyways. and last day of school tomorrow, so they finish at two anyways.
and they will just wind me up, and get there clothes dirty. and just, because i want them to go to school?

riyadh!
why? do you know it at all?

I grew up in jeddah! (random sort of related fact...)

At the beginning of the week I went to the shopping street and was amazed at all the Turkish families buying loads of new clothes. Then I remembered Eid. I'm a bad DIL really, thank goodness my MIL is thousands of miles away and her son (my dh) is too busy to think about it.

I was in Bangladesh one year for Eid and they all brought their goats or even a cow in the neighbours courtyard and then they were killed and cut up and some sent out to the poor - MIL bought a new freezer to put all her meat in she had so much. I was too much of a wimp to watch but all the local kids were down there among it - I remember the puddles of blood on the courtyard floor.

Here in Germany a few families would order a sheep at the butchers and share it.

I have memories of bloody puddles at eid time too, we where the kids right up in the thik of it, the neighbors didn't quite know how to take this strage English family taking part in their customs. Good memories!

Last time I was there was 10 years ago, I bet it's changed loads now!

I miss Shawarmas! mmmmmmmmmm

lol, its a small world isnt it?
last year we were in pakistan, and the kids saw all the blood and stuff. before that, they never realised where meat came from. they were vegetarioan for a few hours afterwards.
i personally have kept well away for many decades now. dh just sends ome money to his cousin somewhere who pays for it to be done.

go to edgware road in london. the shawarma's are just as good.

Pukka, (sorry, for hijack!) but can I re-ask a question re Hirsi Ali please? And to all those who don't live in the west too? It is a genuine question

I must admit, that was the only time I ate meat in that country as the daily meat was hanging out side the little shops in the heat for hours, covered in flies so I couldn't bring myself to eat it. But that Eid meat was really fresh!
In Pakistan one year I was also there for Eid and saw them handing out the packages of meat to the poor (from the window of our flat) - that was moving.

can i ask, why is it not clear which date to celebrate it on?

I'm so glad I found this thread!!! It has cleared up a huge mystery for me (and made me feel really dumb!!). I was chatting to a Turkish guy I work with the other night and he asked me why we lie to our kids at Christmas (ref Santa). Didn't have a good answer other than CHristmas spirit part of being a kid like tooth fairy etc. I then asked don't you celebrate Christmas in Turkey/what religion are you? Was surprised it was muslim (dumbness part 1) He explained about sharing a 'ship' with your friends or community - or at least that's what I thought he was saying (he has a really heavy accent sometimes!!) I didn't want to cause offence by asking too much more. I now realise he meant sheep!! (dumness part 2). Next time I think I'll just ask MN!!!
Sounds like a nice tradition by the way. Very neighbourly. Quite why people insist on giving various religious groups bad press all the time I don't know.

I'd like to ask if any of you have read Hirsi-Ali?

Monkey yes but please start another thread.
Let's keep this one argument free.

Pukka, did not realise we could kids at home for Eid (not that I would, but good to know)

Okey dokey! here

Thanks for the explanation DJ!

Pukka sounds like you all enjoyed it more than you expected after all. Your sil sounds like a right cow though. Why is she so bothered about you marrying her brother FGS? Is she maybe just jealous of you for something? I thought it was just MILs who acted that way

mulledsnowmanjanitor - I went to Manarat Iternational (the girl's section obviously!) what about your dh?

oooh yes have had shawarmas from edgeware road but don't live near london

Eid mubarak!

I had the impression the kids are allowed a day off for big Eid but not little Eid? My bf's kids are coming home, jumping into their sparkles and racing to their grandma's.

ooo, i also went to manarat! but in riyadh obvioulsy.
i bet you are miles younger than me though. i went on the facebook website, and all these kids asking if so and so still teaches there, and they'd only left like three years ago.
its to do with sighting of the moon. and the fact that most people dont actually bother to look for the moon. they just phone up whatever country there grandparents came from, and do it on whatever day they are doing it.
if the muslims in this country could get there acts together, maybe the bbc could announce it, and then that would be that. no arguments then.
my mom has a website that calsulates probability of moon being sighted in different parts of the globe. i just do whatever mil is doing as it is easier. lazy cow that i am

Sorry, didn't realise it was the actual day of Eid - just thought it was one of many days when you would see relations. Still think you would be justified in sending them to school if you want to.