In Pakistan, celebrating Eid on different days has become an annual tradition, just like devouring delectable delights on the festive occasion or collecting Eidi.

This year was no different as parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Peshawar, and Fata celebrated Eidul Fitr on Monday, while the rest of the country waited for the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee to make its decision the same evening.

Perhaps we should count our blessings as in years past Pakistan has witnessed Eidul Fitr celebrated on three different days. While most Pakistanis trust the word of the central Ruet body, the gentlemen of the unofficial sighting committee of Peshawar’s Qasim Ali Khan mosque beg to differ.

And so they did on Sunday night; it was after midnight when the unofficial body announced the beginning of Shawwal. Perhaps some of our ulema believe in the dictum ‘the more the merrier’ when it comes to celebrating Eid.

The only catch is the festival is supposed to be about unity and brotherhood, so for one nation to celebrate multiple Eids appears a bit odd. There’s also the fact that as per the weather pundits, the chances of sighting the moon on Sunday night were extremely slim.

To be fair, controversy over moon-sighting is not limited to Pakistan; it’s just that we excel at making a farce of it. In other Muslim countries, or where Muslims form significant minorities, the issue does pop up.

For instance, Muslims in North America are known to celebrate Eid on different days, while the observance has been split along sectarian lines in Lebanon and Iraq. But in most Muslim states, the official body tasked with moon-sighting does the needful and people get on with it, either preparing for Eid or one more day of fasting.

However, in Pakistan, with so many ‘custodians’ of religion, controversy is the norm. In future, hopefully the state and the doctors of religion can come up with a consensus to allow Eid celebrations on the same day across the country.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2014