Eid!
This weekend will see the end of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting. Once the new moon is sighted, the festival of Eid will start. Eid is a major religious holiday celebrated by Muslims around the world and is a time for celebration, feasting, and gift-giving. This year (2023) it is expected to be on Friday 21st April or Saturday 22nd April.
Eid Foods
Food is an important part of Eid celebrations, more so after the abstinence of food during daylight hours (sunrise to sunset) during the previous 29 or 30 days. Food is shared with friends and family and a wide range of dishes are usually prepared. Foods eaten for Eid are typically specific to the nationality and the culture of the individual. As we are in the UK, we tend to opt for a nice roast for lunch with a few traditional Middle Eastern foods mixed in, then for an evening meal (if we have any space for more food), we tend to have lots of picky buffet style foods! Of course there is dessert and sweet foods and we generally have a range of yummy foods to complement our mains. Dates are an important food during Ramadan and are used to break the fast, these will continue to be eaten throughout Eid, sometimes stuffed with nuts or dipped in chocolate.
Suggestions for Eid celebrations
There is such a wide range of food choices, but here are some of the more traditional ones which are likely to be cooked more often:
A tasty biryani for a main meal using chickpeas and vegetables to make it vegan.
Lentil Pakoras which make a fantastic appetiser or buffet food.
If you have plenty of time, these dolma (stuffed vine leaves) are always popular.
A must have sweet biscuit made with dates, called Kulicha, Ma’moul or just date cookies.
A traditional Bengali rice pudding called Firni or Phirni, sometimes known as Chaler Payesh
A delicious sweet nutty pastry in the form of baklava can be made with a variety of fillings.
What do I need?
If you are celebrating Eid, there are a whole host of snacks, gifts and decorations you might want to buy. Remember, if you are buying Eid gifts for friends, to be on the safe side it is best to avoid gifts containing alcohol or gelatine (Haribo sweets or marshmallows for example may contain pig/porcine which is not eaten). Here are a few suggestions ideal for Eid. I may receive a small commission if you click and purchase through these links (this is at no additional cost to you)!
Eid Greetings
Each culture will have their own greeting but ‘Happy Eid’ works well for all. You can also say ‘Eid Mubarak’ which has the same meaning but roughly translated means ‘Blessed Feast’.
Sharing
If you know someone who is celebrating Eid, sending them a ‘Happy Eid’ message over the weekend would be very thoughtful and is likely to be gratefully received. If you are celebrating yourself, then Eid Mubarak to you and your family, what are your traditions and what foods will you be eating? If you’re local to me and are celebrating Eid, am I invited to lunch! Haha, if you’re reading this I’ll know! Also, if you’re local to me, feel free to pop in and say hello (we love guests, especially at Eid), grab yourself something tasty to eat and check out our Eid decorations!
As always, I love hearing about any recipes of mine you try, any ideas you adapt or suggestions you have for future recipes. Please share and tag me @LifeDietHealth or using #LifeDietHealth on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook or Twitter.
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I hope to speak with you soon
Laurena x
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