Eid Mubarak!

[jseal]

To the umma of Pixies, Happy Eid al Fitr!

[Teddy Bear]

Not sure what that is........

but have a happy one! :)










*sits & waits for somebody to explain.*

[WildIrish]

The Eid marks the conclusion of an important Muslim worship, and the determination to continue in obedience and submission to Allah.

[wyndhy]

it is also a day to settle disputes. happy eid al fitr!

[dicksbro]

Best to ya', jseal.

[LixyChick]

jseal,

If I may ask...are you Muslim?

I inquire because I've never seen a thread in celebration of this occasion and, to be honest, I've never heard of this commemoration. I don't like feeling as though we've slighted you and your beliefs...and others who may celebrate it. It makes me feel that if we'd have known, we wouldn't have missed it this year!

Happy Eid al Fitr...to those this may apply to!

*chalks this up to one that Mom missed*

[jseal]

LixyChick,

No Mam, I am not Muslim. I once lived in Khartoum, Sudan, and I lived and worked in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia back in the ‘80s. What little Arabic I still remember, my respect for Islam, and some of my mannerisms I picked up then.

Muslims observe two major holidays. Eid al-Fitr is the more well known of the two, and it begins at the end of the annual fasting month of Ramadan. Eid al-Adha is the other, and it commemorates the end of Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca (and Medina if you can work it in). It is common during these Holy Days for Muslims give thanks to Allah for His bounty and mercy, celebrate, and wish each other well.

Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr are to Muslims as Lent and Easter were to, and still are to some, Christians; a period of purification followed by a Feast Day. I give the nod to Christians on his one, as they incorporate their central dogma into their Easter rites.

Eid al-Adha is a uniquely Muslim holiday, as it is tied to the conclusion of the Hajj. In carrying out this obligation, they fulfill one of the five "pillars" of Islam, or central religious duties of the believer. Hey, if you’ve just done Hajj, you’ve just done good, and it is partying time!

I know this was more answer than you may have been looking for, but it seemed to be the right time to speak of them.

[osuche]

((((jseal)))) ~~ Thank you for the education. Of most of the major world religions, Islam is the most foreign to me. I've read a decent part of the Qur'an, but honestly I was never able to put it into context because I know so few muslims, and because so many of them have become so private about their religion.....thanks in some part to our stereotypes.

[Steph]

Yesterday, one of my Muslim friends called & invited me to join him for today's fun. This is the first year I haven't worked with a lot of Muslims so didn't realize it was even Ramadan already!

They fast from sunrise to sunset & it would make some people quite irritable at times. :D You definitely notice it as a coworker but I always admired the dedication.

[LixyChick]

TY for the explaination jseal. Like osuche, I am the least familiar with Muslim practices. I appreciate the education!

[moose]

I also appreciate the education jseal and Happy Eid al Fitr to you

[Teddy Bear]

Thank you to all who explained this before now unheard of holiday.

And to our Muslim friends, Happy Eid al Fitr. :)

[Lilith]

This is the first time that I have no Muslim students this time of year. The students get so much more interested, when they have a friend with those beliefs to share with.

[jseal]

The students get so much more interested, when they have a friend with those beliefs to share with.

Lilith,

Interesting. Birds of a feather sort of thing?

[Lilith]

I think the conversations come from a place of personal experience vs. me just telling them about something I've read about. First hand knowledge always trumps, here say with kids.

[jseal]

Lilith,

Yes'm.