On Sunday, September 20, John and I celebrated Eid Al-Fitr at the home of our colleague, Souleiman Rirach with his family and friends. They served us a delicious traditional Djiboutian meal of goat, rice, potatoes, salad and pudding. We wore our traditional Djiboutian clothing. Because I am not muslim, I am not required to wear the head scarf. John put a belt around his skirt (foutour sp?) just in case. The skirt is a tube of material wrapped at the waist to keep it on.
Eid Al-Fitr means "Feast of Fast-Breaking." In Djibouti, it is celebrated for two days beginning the day after Ramadan ends. Because the month of Ramadan is all about fasting, Eid-Al-Fitr is all about NOT fasting. During Ramadan, Muslims have not eaten while the Sun is in the sky. On Eid-Al-Fitr, they celebrate the end of Ramadan with a sweet snack and then get ready for 2 days of celebration.
On the first day of Eid , Muslims are encouraged to dress in their best clothes and attend a special Eid prayer at their neighborhood mosque. Before the prayer begins, Muslims make an alms payment (the Zakat al Fitr) for the month of Ramadan, in the form of food or its cash equivalent. This food and/or money is then distributed to the poor. After the special religious service, the focus turns to gift-giving. Children are given many gifts. Women get gifts from their loved ones. Also on this day, people are encouraged to settle feuds or disputes, especially those between family members
The streets of Djibouti City are alive with people on the first day of Eid. There are lots of proud fathers walking through the streets holding the hands of their little girls with bows in their hair, new outfits and big grins on their faces. All day the first day is spent visiting friends and family, feasting and gift giving. It is much like Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day. The next day is more subdued. Most businesses are closed both days except shops dealing in food items and restaurants.
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