The Muslim Celebration of Eid Al Ftr in Lahore, Pakistan

After a month of fasting during daylight hours and feasting during moonlit hours, Muslims around the world celebrate the end of Ramadan with the holiday of Eid al Ftr. In Pakistan, this is commonly known as "Choti Eid," or "the small Eid."

Choti Eid is usually celebrated for three days. Schools, businesses and government offices give a one-week holiday. This is due to the fact that the holiday itself is three days, and since it is determined by the sighting of the moon it is hard to pin down the dates ahead of time. How do Muslims celebrate Eid? They do so with fancy clothes, food, and giving gifts.

Eid Clothing

Men, who can afford to, generally wear a new white shalwar kameez (loose pants and long shirt) to offer prayers at the mosque on Eid morning. Some men may wear fancier shalwar kameez with embroidery on the cuffs, neck and collar. Women usually get new fancy suits made just for the Eid holiday. If you want to get anything stitched at the tailor in the weeks coming up to Eid, you'd better be prepared to wait for it until after Eid. The tailor's priority will be to get all the special Eid suits ready for his demanding lady customers. Ladies love to wear bright colors with matching shoes and accessories.

Eid Food

The heart of the Eid celebration is the food. Muslims are celebrating the fact that after an entire month of fasting during the day, they can not eat and drink during daylight hours. If you are invited for an Eid lunch or dinner, you can expect to be stuffed with rich Pakistani food. The generous use of oil and meat shows wealth, and there will certainly be a lot of both. Special Eid desserts include kheer (rice pudding), and a sweet dish of vermicelli noodles and a white milky sauce. Both are too sweet for my liking, but if you have a sweet tooth you're sure to enjoy them.

Eid Gifts

Another important aspect of Eid is giving gifts. Family members generally give money to one another. Older family members give to younger family members. You are expected to give to those who are younger than you. Being the oldest of all my cousins on both sides, I would certainly get the short end of the stick if I celebrated Eid with my family! One friend was telling me that she likes to travel to visit her extended family during Eid, because if she does then she comes in contact with a lot of relatives who are older than her. If she stays where she is, she is the oldest and has to dish out money to all the younger relatives.

Aside from money, ladies love to give each other colorful bangles. During the month of Ramadan you'll see roadside stalls selling bangles in every color of the rainbow. Ladies bring cuttings from their Eid suits to find the perfect match at the bangle stall, and if you visit a lady friend you can expect to be given a set of glass bangles. Bring a set for each lady of the house if you are invited for an Eid function. A set of bangles is quite cheap and will set you back less than US $1.

Need to do last minute shopping for Eid gifts or shoes to match your new suit? No problem. An Eid tradition is Lahore is to stay up all night shopping the night before Eid. It is called "Chand Raat": the night of the moon. Places like Liberty Market will be filled with lady shoppers, great deals on shoes, henna stalls, and bangles galore. Watch out for the young men who go for things other than shopping, and make sure to stay with your lady friends at all times.

Eid is a fun and relaxing celebration, as long as you don't get sick from eating too much. Gently tell your hosts that you have just don't have a "Pakistani stomach" and can not tuck in as much food as they are used to eating. Make sure you dress to impress, as Eid can be much more formal than a casual Christmas gathering. Ladies should wear jewelry and men should also take time with their appearance. Enjoy spending time with friends and eating good food!

To see photos of Ramadan and Eid shopping in Lahore see here

More Articles on Pakistani Culture by Heather Carreiro:

An Easier Way to Celebrate Eid al Adha in Pakistan

What to Expect at a Pakistani Wedding

What to Wear to a Pakistani Wedding