Eid Mubarak from your friendly Internet neighborhood Muslims.
Just look at those smiles.
Is it me, or are those smiles saying, “HEY, WE LOVE AMERICA, NOW LET US GO THROUGH SECURITY IN FIFTEEN MINUTES OR LESS!”
So, yesterday was Eid-ul-Fitr, unanimously agreed amongst Muslims as the biggest day of the year. The significance of the day is simply the end of Ramadan, the month in which we fast for various reasons.
Eid-ul-Fitr basically means “Festival of the Fast.” It falls on the first day of Shawwal, the month after Ramadan, both of which are months in the Islamic lunar calendar. Like Eid ul Adha, Eid actually begins after sunset because it depends on the moon.
More on that in a minute.
We celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr by doing the things most other religious communities do when they have a holiday… eat food, visit family, eat more food, visit more family… and give gifts.
(WHO GOT A DSLR THIS YEAR?!)
(THIS GAL RIIIGHT HERE.)
(Best.husband.ever.)
Anyway. Back to multicultural education.
The funny thing about Eid-ul-Fitr is that it’s always kind of a guessing game. See, the end of the lunar month for Muslims depends on the sighting of a new moon.
And this is where it gets confusing.
What, in 2011, constitutes a “moon sighting”?
Furthermore, with the advent of connectivity all over the world, do you celebrate when the moon is sighted in your country, in Mecca (the spiritual epicenter of Islam), or anywhere on Earth?
And, wow, if we end up populating Mars, what would Muslims who live THERE do …
Some Islamic scholars, particularly those in Saudi Arabia, insist that the sighting must be an actual sighting with the naked eye while others are okay with using a telescope. Either way, a person has to actually see the new moon for it to be Eid.
Others, specifically associations in North America, have postulated that since a new moon can be scientifically calculated, we can determine the occurrence of Eid-ul-Fitr through that.
And then in South Asia, they generally celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr a day later than whenever Saudi does because… honestly, I don’t know why.
Something about geographic location and the sighting being off due to that. Or just being ornery. And also because desis are always late to everything. I made that last part up, but it’s highly logical if you think about it.
And THEN there are people all over the world that don’t care whether they see the moon in their country or not, only if people in Saudi Arabia were able to see the moon and they celebrate when Saudis celebrate.
The point being that not every Muslim in the world celebrates Eid-ul-Fitr on the same day and that the reasons for that are different.
That’s because we are a diverse community. With different opinions.
Who knew? Apparently, less people than I wish.
I only tell you all this to illustrate one point.
You know how people think “we” are trying to take over in some secret Muslim ninja plot to institute Sharia Law in the United States?
People, we can’t even seem to figure out how to celebrate Eid, a holiday that has been around since the inception of our religion, on the same day as each other.
I don’t think you have anything to worry about, Ms. Coulter.
***
I bet you want to know when I celebrated Eid.
Of course you do.
I, personally, don’t think there’s anything wrong with the scientific calculation.
However.
I happen to be part of a local community that follows when Eid occurs in Saudi Arabia. So we celebrate, as a family, when they celebrate in Saudi.
So, anyway, Tuesday was Eid-ul-Fitr.
For me.
In India and Pakistan, it’s today.
I think.
Anyway.
Eid Mubarak!
(Belated for North America & the Middle East).
I was a “latch key” kid.
Do people even use that term anymore?
Back then, there was a lot of discussion about kids coming home to empty houses and having to fend for themselves while horribly selfish, career driven mothers were off making money.
There was even a club for us at school.
They taught us the highly useful things in this club: don’t open the door for strangers, don’t tell people on the phone that you’re by yourself, don’t use the stove to make yourself something to eat, and, good God, you poor, miserable children, look how you brave you’re being by making peace with the fact that your mother is not at home like she’s supposed to be.
We did learn a few things on our own. For example, this situation unequivocally taught me that wrapping a barbeque sauce laden hot dog in aluminum foil and sticking it the microwave in order to emulate a barbeque flavor is an extremely ill conceived plan.
Our system at home was unique. Mom’s office was right next door to the house… she would walk over at random times to make sure we were okay or not blowing up the house with radioactive aluminum hot dog bombs. We were instructed to call if we needed anything.
But, mostly? We were on our own. Two kids, making their way through the hours of 3pm and 6pm with the world at our feet and all the television we wanted. I learned a lot about the value of diversity and cultural negotiations between American rural values and the opulent wealth driven mores of Beverly Hills from Jed, Ellie May and their concrete swimming hole.
(That sounded obscene, didn’t it? Unplanned. But too good to edit.)
I’m not sure if being a latch key kid played into my decision to be the kind of mom who is always going to be home with her kids. When I became a mother, something just made me decide that my kids were not going to learn about aluminum in the microwave on their own.
It sounds good on paper. Be home when the kids are home… be there for them when they need you. Be there for them… every… second… of… every… day.
But.
Kids need space, man.
This clicked for me the other day when, after we’d had a snack together, played on the computer together, watched TV together, did an art project together and, then, went on a bike ride together, both of my kids said something to the effect of, “What are WE going to do now…”
WE.
Not “I”.
WE.
Everything has become “we.”
“Go play on your own for a while,” I said trying to sound NOT irate.
“No. That’s boring….” my daughter said.
“NOOO… DATS BO-WING,” my son echoed.
Huh. Imagine. Being bored. With YOURSELF.
Being extremely interesting myself, I have a hard time understanding this at all.
If my children were a food, I would eat them every day, three times a day, snack on them in between meals, nibble on them right before bed, and then keep them in the nightstand in case I woke up hungry.
I want to be here for them, and I crave their attention when I don’t have it.
This isn’t about me, though, it really is about them.
Because you know what?
They really do need to figure out that sometimes the best company you can keep?
Is yourself.
***
Did you know that it’s Ramadan? Did you know I explained stuff about Ramadan in one of the episodes of the podcast that I host with my token Jewish friend Mike? Go here to listen, it’s like getting a degree in religious studies in thirty five minutes or less.
Credits may or may not transfer to actual universities. You get what you pay for, people.
From the monthly archives: August 2011
