Eid celebrations

[Alex50]

I’ve just driven down a road where the local community are celebrating Eid, going into each other’s houses, one terraced house looked like it had 50 people in. My couldn’t how many they could fit in a small area. Are people mumsnet celebrating Eid at the moment?

@randomer

Please, with respect can somebody tell me is this Eid on an equal footing to the one after Ramadan?

Technically this is called ‘the big Eid’ and has more religious/ symbolic significance. But because the other Eid comes after a month of fasting, it tends to be a lot more socially significant and celebratory.

I guess it’s like Easter vs Christmas.

The road was so busy and blocked with so many people, I had time to look. It wasn’t me that saw most of it, it was my daughter, she was shocked as we haven’t that many people in ages, you couldn’t move for the crowds. It’s rubbish it was cancelled so late, I agree, so we’re holidays to Spain. Do you have family from abroad visiting for Eid?

[quote BKCRMP]@scaevola So you think eid should be sacrificed with 3 hours notice to ensure Christmas isn't too disrupted? What the government have done is literally the same as said by PP and cancelling Christmas 9pm Christmas eve.[/quote]
It wasn't, they have tightened the rules but 2 households or six people has always been the rule, that is not new and should have been adhered to. If you can't celebrate with one other family only then Eid was already cancelled.

This. We haven’t seen family for months as they live a few hour away...due to go next weekend but now because of this we are stuck and who knows when we will see anyone. Regardless of any celebrations, people should have been sticking to the guidelines...I’m sympathetic, we are all missing out on something but no celebration should trump another.

@Redolent, I kind of have some understanding of the other Eid and had wrongly assumed that this one was a minor affair. When I have worked in areas with Muslim population the Eid after Ramamdan seemed more celebrated, new clothes, lovely food and family gatherings.

I cannot be bothered to check but I wonder if OP posted similar when people were celebrating VE day in the streets mid-lockdown or when people started filling overcrowded beaches as soon as the weather got hot. Or is it maybe this particular part of society that is under extra scrutiny? hm.

@FurForksSake It wasn't, they have tightened the rules but 2 households or six people has always been the rule, that is not new and should have been adhered to. If you can't celebrate with one other family only then Eid was already cancelled.

This! I’m so confused as to how not celebrating indoors with a shit ton of other people wasn’t ALREADY off the agenda. Or have I missed an update on family/household visits?

@SiennaSienna Are they saying that they can’t celebrate together outdoors? Because those things were outdoors...Have I misunderstood what the government have said?

@JustMeAndMyTins Not at all.
Most people celebrated outdoors on VE Day and I'd think most were careful, however, you also saw people not social distancing, dancing & drinking together, in close contact with not masks with literally hundreds of people. Same with the beaches. I'm saying that there seems to be more scrutiny and criticism when it comes to Muslims. Those in my circle of friends (most of whom are doctors actually) are very careful and don't current attend family gatherings, even during Eid.

I do have a lot of sympathy for the people who were looking forward to celebrating Eid. As a news reporter said, it's like being told at 10pm on christmas eve that Christmas is cancelled.

@randomer

btw, yes I would cancel Christmas because I can't bloody stand it.

Ha ha me too I wouldn't mind a Christmas in lockdown

They can meet up outdoors in public spaces 6 people, with social distancing.

one terraced house looked like it had 50 people in

How could you see 50 people in a terraced house as you drove past it?

Please, with respect can somebody tell me is this Eid on an equal footing to the one after Ramadan?

it's not, no.

I am in Indonesia and Eid al-Fitr involves people travelling thousands of miles, there is a ten-day public holiday, people spend a month fasting beforehand, they don't go anywhere on holiday during that time, and then for several weeks after there's much more travel. There's a month-long school holiday.

By contrast Eid al-Adha is about sacrificing animals and while people do generally go to visit friends and relations to eat the sacrificed meat, it's just one public holiday rather than 2 weeks, and school continues as normal. And there's also two month's pay by law (some employers pay three months) at Eid al-Fitr because of the extra expenses, whereas nothing for Eid al-Adha. Instead the idea of Eid al-Adha is if you have money to spare then you kill a cow or goat and share the meat with others.

It does signify the time of Hajj, but that's all but irrelevant except for the tiny proportion of global Muslims fortunate enough to have £5k+ to blow on a Hajj-time pilgrimage.

It would be more like Easter than Christmas in British terms.

First time we are (I think?) breaching rules. My parents and sister’s family are coming - ten in total. Each of the three householdS will be sitting 2M apart. Feel a bit guilty but we are all super strict about SD, so hoping it will be ok.

I hear what you’re saying. Personally, I’ll live if I don’t celebrate Christmas but that’s possibly because I’m not religious.

I do think the difficulty with the Christmas comparison is that in the UK, we can’t sit outside in December. Maybe people just celebrate Eid outdoors this year and maintain social distance?

It’s a tough one. It wouldn’t have been responsible to delay the message but maybe it was possible to catch the situation sooner.

The short notice is a red herring surely. The rules were only two households allowed to meet or a maximum of six people - so any celebrations with more than that were already not allowed, so short notice or not they shouldn't have been happening.

This is why we are where we are - people just cannot do what they're told.

@Littlemeadow123

I do have a lot of sympathy for the people who were looking forward to celebrating Eid. As a news reporter said, it's like being told at 10pm on christmas eve that Christmas is cancelled.

Only if you accept that under current rules Christmas is cancelled if your Christmas involves more than two families inside together. Under the rules it was 2 households in your house or garden, now it is 2 households / 6 individuals outside in a public space. It really isn't that drastic a change if their celebrations were following guidance.

"Due to higher rates of infection, if you live in this area you should not host or visit friends and family in each other’s homes or gardens. It will shortly be illegal to do so, unless specific exemptions apply. You also should not meet friends and family in other venues – including restaurants or cafes.

Up to two households, or six people from any number of households may meet outdoors (excluding people’s gardens) where there is a lower risk of infection. If you do so, you should still socially distance from those you do not live with, and avoid physical contact."

Mosques are still open, outdoor small gatherings are allowed as before. It would be totally remiss of them not to do something when they can see where C-19 is bubbling up and a large event was going to happen. Yes, more time should have been given. Yes, it should have been more accessible in method of transmission, but realistically Eid should never have been going on as a business as usual event.

I fully expect christmas to be cancelled, we are planning for it to be. My kids have missed birthdays and weddings have been cancelled, life is not normal and it can't be. It's sad, for everyone.

[quote SiennaSienna]@JustMeAndMyTins Not at all.
Most people celebrated outdoors on VE Day and I'd think most were careful, however, you also saw people not social distancing, dancing & drinking together, in close contact with not masks with literally hundreds of people. Same with the beaches. I'm saying that there seems to be more scrutiny and criticism when it comes to Muslims. Those in my circle of friends (most of whom are doctors actually) are very careful and don't current attend family gatherings, even during Eid.[/quote]
They didn't cancel large house gatherings just because of Eid. They did it because a lot of people have been having house parties and not social distancing and track and trace have proven that lots of local outbreaks have been caused by large house gatherings. So it is, in part, lousy timing.

During VE day, people were meant to socially distance and not go around to other people's houses. Some people broke those rules. I'm sure some people celebrating Eid will as well. (I don't blame them). But I know plenty of VE parties that got broke up, so there was a lot of scrutiny going on.

btw I'm not sure about 'Eid being cancelled', but they had that in Indonesia a few months back for the main Eid. Basically it's supposed to be about moon sighting, and the date is proclaimed by the relevant Islamic astronomers. Anyway they said 'sorry no moon', and Eid was cancelled. People were already out in their tens of millions with drums and what not ready to celebrate, and it was cancelled.

Millions of people got diarrhea etc. because of all the meat that had been cooked but then had to be kept another day very often without refrigeration.

So Eid being cancelled is a real thing....

Happy Eid if you’re celebrating

Are we honestly suggesting that Eid or Christmas is not for cancelling even at very short notice? One minute people are complaining that the government doesnt act quickly and then when it does they moan.

Sorry, but we are in the middle of a pandemic. Clearly there are groups of people who think that the rules dont apply to them. They need to be called out for their very very selfish behaviour rather than sticking our heads in the sand for fear or being accused of picking on certain people. Whether that be young people having a party, or celebrating a religious festival. The rules include YOU!

I suppose sensible people seeing a major festival on the horizon , at this time would have curtailed it.

Unfortunately in all sections of society some people are not sensible.

People are cancelling (well delaying) weddings for goodness sake. The Haj had been cut to a few thousand. Don’t act like children - work around it.

At VE day all my neighbours were pissed and all over each other.