Saudi Gazette

WITH Eid Al-Fitr around the corner, many families are planning to celebrate this happy occasion abroad.

The joyful celebration of Eid Al-Fitr marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk.

The general norm in Saudi Arabia however is to celebrate the festival with parents, other family members and close friends. People who stay in major cities for work drive back to their hometowns and villages to celebrate the Eid with their extended family.

Some people view the recent trend of flying abroad to celebrate Eid in foreign countries, sometimes not Islamic, as strange and against the tradition and meaning of celebrating Eid. Saudi Gazette met with a number of people who prefer to leave the Kingdom and celebrate the Eid elsewhere for various reasons as well as others who are against the trend.

Suhaila Omar, a housewife in her mid-50s, shared her reason to travel abroad during Eid.

She said when her parents-in-law were alive, she used to spend Eid with them abroad. Every year she used to travel with her in-laws to celebrate Eid in a different Muslim country and experience the new tradition. In addition to the Gulf states, she traveled to all North African countries, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey and many others.

"We really love to discover how other cultures express their traditions and customs during Eid celebrations,” said Suhaila.

Suhaila traveled to several countries during Eid, but she really enjoyed celebrating Eid in Egypt. She likes the atmosphere there.

"People come down to the roads with their families, neighbors, and friends with amazing smiles and new clothes ready to celebrate. They put up bright lights and play traditional Arabic music. People celebrate together on the streets, not inside their homes like in the Kingdom, and the beauty is that they welcome everyone," she said.

After both her parents-in-law passed away and with her family expanding, she now spends Eid in the Kingdom with her children and grandchildren.

Yousef Khalid, a mechanical engineering graduate in his mid-20s, stated that he prefers to travel one day before Eid. He encourages his family to travel during Eid, as everything in the country gets expensive as the prices go up ahead of Eid.

"Eid now falls in summer. We want to take advantage of this and travel because we can make use of the children's summer vacation. Another reason why we love to travel during Eid is that we have already spent a lot of time with our extended family in Ramadan. Eid is a time when we as a family want to enjoy together before the summer vacation gets over," said Khalid.

Some people said they were fed up with family obligations forced on them by tradition. They travel to flee from such commitments.

Orjwan Iskandar, a Saudi photographer in her late 20s, explained that she prefers to travel during Eid to avoid exchanging monetary gifts among her family members and in-laws, as it becomes a huge financial burden.

"Eid used to be a simple and wonderful celebration with the family, neighbors and friends. People were happy and satisfied with whatever gift they received like small bills or a box of candies or chocolates. But it is no longer the case. For me, I give gifts of SR25 with a box of candy. Children these days are not satisfied with small bills and they want something big. If I do not give them at least SR50, they would not like it. It is hard especially for children to understand that each person has their own limits," said Iskandar.

She said some people expect gifts from her while they do not give anything in exchange to her or her children.

Iskandar says she has to buy gifts not only for her family but also for her in-laws.

Eid, according to Iskandar, is a time- and money-consuming affair. She needs to buy new clothes, accessories, shoes and scarves for the whole family.

"This is really a financial burden. That is why I prefer to leave Saudi Arabia during Eid. I prefer to travel and enjoy my time with my husband, son and daughter instead of wasting money on others," she added.

According to Nada Talaat, a housewife in her 40s, there is too much show-off in Riyadh during Eid. "People waste a lot of time and money and overwhelm themselves in order to look perfect, which is not right. People want to buy new clothes from well-known brands that are expensive, and they spend too much time shopping. Later, they feel stressed and unhappy with these obligations, which they forced on themselves out of nowhere," said Talaat.

"I prefer to travel during Eid to spend an enjoyable time with my family. Eid is a simple occasion and I feel that only when I travel,” she added.

Lujain Hafiz, who is in her mid-20s and working in a private company, said her family lives in Jeddah while she lives in Riyadh. She will end up paying a lot of money for tickets, hotel rooms and car rent if she decided to travel to Jeddah or Madinah to see her relatives. But if she decided to travel abroad, it would be much cheaper compared to the expenses in the Kingdom.

"What encourages me to travel during Eid is that my father loves to travel and experience Eid abroad. I find this as a great opportunity to share the same experience with him, " said Hafiz.

Others said they are obliged by traditions and customs to celebrate Eid inside the country.

Abdulellah Hasan, a businessman in his 50s, does not like to travel during Eid because for him it is an annual religious celebration. "The big family comes from all over the places and gathers in one city to celebrate together. The Eid is nothing without family. They are the love of our life. Plus, as Muslims, we need to celebrate our religious festivals together and have joyful days that we would keep in our memories. We must be bound by our traditions and religion because they are our identity. To those who take advantage of family problems to travel abroad should remember that Ramadan is the time to mend fences and the chance to make peace with everyone," Hasan said.