This November, most people are focusing on getting ready for Thanksgiving and recovering from Halloween, but there is also another huge holiday that fell in late October, this year. Eid, pronounced EED, literally translates to celebration. It is an Islamic holiday that happens twice a year, and this particular Eid is called, Eid-al-Adha. This holiday honors the prophet Abra ham’s sacrifice of his first-born son Ishmael as an act of submission to God. In order to commemorate this event, most people sacrifice a goat and distribute the meat to the poor. Practicing Muslims in the west usually ask family in their countries of origin to conduct this sacrifice.
In preparation for Eid, the entire house is usually cleaned and new furnishings, like curtains and pictures, are put up. Women visit the salons and pamper themselves, and they apply henna. Henna is a mix of several herbs and water.
It is drawn on parts of the body, like the hands and feet, and once it is dried and removed, the pattern remains on the skin. The morning of Eid, families prepare to go to the mosque, the Muslim place of worship, by wearing new clothing. At the mosque, several sets of special prayers are performed, and then the rest of the morning is spent greeting other people at the mosque. Children receive small presents and money. Once families return home, there is usually a huge feast. The most decadent foods are prepared and served. Due to the elaborate dinners, presents, and new clothing a lot of people compare Eid to Christmas.
This is an example of a typical Eid outfit.
Girls would be sure to wear modest clothing, because a lot of the day would be spend in the mosque, so the outfit usually covers arms and legs. It can be tailored with a lower or higher neck and back. Men’s outfits are similar, but the top is straight. Each outfit includes a scarf, the long top, and pants. This particular outfit originates from India and Pakistan.
An outfit for a female from Africa may look like the following:
Photo sources:
http://www.asifpatelphotograph…
http://www.utsavsarees.org/TCJ…
http://www.theecomuslim.com/20…
http://dilshil.com/wedding/wp-…
http://fashioninstep.com/lates…