It is often said that “Eid is for kids.” But is it so? Well, Eid is for everyone. It is just that the way all of us see this glorious day is different. Eid is one of those days when love and warmth fill the air, and everyone has their own way of experiencing it.

For the elders, Eid is all about togetherness. They sit, watch and smile. Their joy is in seeing everyone together under one roof. They’ve seen many Eids come and go, so they know better than anyone that this, right here, everyone sitting together, is the whole point.

For kids, Meethi Eid means Eidi. They wake up with a mission and, by afternoon, that money is already gone, spent in the most gloriously chaotic ways.

For boys, it’s simpler. Get dressed, say salaam, collect the Eidi and disappear with friends. No planning, no drama, no coordination. Just freedom.

Eid is not just one day. It is a series of little moments that begin with the moon’s sighting and end with tired smiles at night

But when it comes to girls, Eid isn’t just a day; it’s an entire experience that has been planned long before the morning even arrives. The outfit or outfits that have been picked out and second-guessed for weeks. The bangle-buying spree to find the perfect match. The henna designs put on the night before. The hair gear, the cosmetics, the jewellery and whatnot.

The chaotic Chaand Raat

The moment the sighting of the moon is announced, if the house were a car, this would be when it switches gears — not just fourth, straight to sport. Soon, the boys disappear into the night, while the girls in the house are panicking over last-minute crises — this dupatta, those bangles, which earrings?

Mum enters the scene, dupatta tied around her head or waist, sleeves rolled up and shifting straight into super-chef mode. She only has two hands, but somehow the work gets done as if she has eight. She’s everywhere simultaneously, cooking for tomorrow, solving everyone’s problems and reminding them what’s left and what needs to be done that very night.

And in all this chaos, suddenly something happens. Maybe a last-minute outfit crisis; the sandals that were perfectly fine yesterday may not fit now, for reasons no one can explain. Nobody is winding down, not even outside. The whole street is alive. You can see it as well as hear it.

The henna situation

For women, henna deserves its own section because applying it is a whole event, and every woman knows how important henna is for them on Eid.

Henna set-ups are usually done two days before Eid. Those who get it done early stay relaxed, sit back, admire their hands and do no housework. But those who wait for the moon-sighting announcement get into full panic mode because they know they have to race against the clock to get it done before morning. And good luck with that, because every parlour in the neighbourhood is packed. Women of all ages — even toddlers — have tiny hands eagerly waiting, ready to fight for their turn like they’ve been waiting for this their whole life.

So if a parlour accepts you, you know you have to wait and who knows how long. There’s also a fear in your head that by the time your turn comes, the mehndi wali will be exhausted, and you’ll end up with whatever she manages to put together — and you’ll just have to accept it.

However, you can’t stop dreaming big: Arabic flows, Indian designs, something geometric, traditional or totally modern. The battle is won once your hand is in the hand of a mehndi wali. You feel blessed to finally secure the seat!

There’s a relief when the henna is done, a satisfaction that only henna can bring. Because without it, Eid just doesn’t feel fully like Eid for girls.

But hold on — the drying part has its own feel, and no doubt it takes forever. You stop yourself from touching anything, and if it’s still wet, you can’t even sleep. But once it dries, it turns into that rich dark red that makes you feel the wait was all worth it.

For the little ones

If you’re a kid, Chaand Raat is one of the best nights of the year, and nobody tells you that — you just know how important it is. Your house is buzzing and you are excited. Everyone is busy doing their own thing. Despite Mum’s constant urging for you to sleep, you just run around and look at what others are doing.

You keep checking on your clothes hanging in the room, wipe your new shoes or sandals of imaginary dust. And finally, you lie in bed thinking about tomorrow — the Eidi, the food, seeing your cousins and planning the games you are going to play.

Eid morning — the girl version

Not all girls, but some girls are up before the alarm. And those who are up are not awake because they are disciplined, but because they are excited and their brain wouldn’t let them sleep past 7am anyway.

The house is already in fast-forward mode. Mum has been up since who knows when. Did she even sleep? The smell of something sweet is coming from the kitchen — perhaps sheer khurma, sevaiyaan, something warm and specific to this morning.

You walk to the kitchen, take a spoonful and get a scolding for not getting dressed for Eid yet and coming straight into the kitchen. I confess to being scolded every Eid by my mum as I took a spoonful of sheer khurma and then ran back to my room to get ready.

For girls, everything is laid out in front of them — the outfit, the bangles, matching jewellery and sandals — but somehow it still takes the whole morning to get ready. Despite things being in order, mother comes to make sure you don’t need anything else. No matter how much the world changes, the connection between a girl and her mother is something only they truly understand.

The getting-ready part on Eid morning has its own kind of fun and fervour. For boys, it’s straightforward; they put on a crisp kurta or shalwar qameez and they’re out the door for Eid prayers. There is a quiet sense of brotherhood and spirituality that only Eid morning brings.

The women who make Eid happen

Someone has to hold the whole event together before it even starts. It’s always the mother. In almost all households, while everyone is still asleep or about to get up, she is already in the kitchen, making sure the food is cooking and everything is in place before the day even begins.

And while everyone else just shows up and enjoys the Eid feast, there’s no complaining from her side. Just this constant checking: “Is everything done?” “Is anything missing?” “Does anyone need anything else?” She’s alert the whole day, but she loves every bit of it.

The arrival of guests

Then comes the moment everyone has actually been waiting for: the arrival of the guests — your cousins, uncles, aunts, friends and neighbours. The house fills up fast. Every corner hums with chatter. You can smell flowers mixed with food and hear “Eid Mubarak!” echoing from the front door to the back of the house. This is the moment that makes all the preparation worth it.

And once the hugs are done and the greetings settle, the real celebration begins. Eidi is exchanged, the food is brought out and nobody needs an invitation to dig in. Everyone eats more than they planned to. Some even ask for the new recipe that your mum has tried.

This is the moment you truly feel ‘Eid’ — not the clothes or the pictures, but a house full of people, a table full of food and no one in a hurry to leave.

The favourite moment — Eidi

Besides the food, Eidi is a whole event as well. Most of you have been waiting for this. You know who gives and who gives well. Some of you have already devised a strategy: go to the right relatives first, say “Salaam”, smile and then say “Eid Mubarak!”

And then the magic moment arrives… you get that crisp note! You say thank you and walk away smiling. The next moment, you find a quiet corner to check how much it is.

For the elders in the family, Eidi holds a different meaning. The amount doesn’t matter. What matters is the love and warmth that comes with it, from someone even older than they are. They understand the worth of that moment so well that they often don’t spend it, but keep it safe as a reminder of the affection it carried.

When all the chaos subsides, a soothing tiredness washes over the family. Your mum is exhausted, but she still smiles, because the food turned out right, the kids are happy and everyone is together. That’s enough for her. That’s her Eid — making sure everyone else’s is good.

The Eid evening

The day winds down the way all good things do — slowly, without you wanting it to. The last relatives leave. The dishes are being done. The kids who were running around at noon are now quiet and tired, still in their Eid clothes but with oil stains and ice-cream smudges. One shoe is here, the other nowhere in sight. They’re half watching something on a screen somewhere.

You change your outfit carefully. Hang it up. Look at it for a second. Today it meant something special, but tomorrow it will be just clothes again.

You sit with your family with that after-Eid feeling — full, tired and a little bit sad because it’s over.

Ramazan is gone. Eid is done. But Allah sees every bit of the month you spent. Every fast you kept, every prayer you didn’t skip, every moment you held yourself back from doing something wrong. None of it goes unnoticed.

Eid is actually a celebration of showing up for an entire month and doing your best. So as you enjoy this day, make a quiet promise to yourself to carry the discipline, gratitude and closeness to Allah that you felt this month. Don’t let that fade too quickly.

Eid Mubarak!

Published in Dawn, Young World, March 19th, 2026