Today's Edition
ASILA AL BADI (ABU DHABI)
As Eid Al Fitr approaches, families across the UAE are finding new ways to keep Eidiya alive, with cash gifts increasingly changing hands via bank transfers, app payments and even coffee credits, retaining its role as a gesture of generosity and celebration.
For Emiratis, the tradition remains closely tied to the joy of Eid, with children waiting eagerly to receive money or small gifts from parents, relatives and friends as families move from one home to another, exchanging greetings. Although the method of giving has changed for some, the meaning behind it has remained intact.
Mohammed Alhammadi, 26, said that digital banking has made it easier to continue the tradition when relatives are spread across the country during the holiday.
"Sometimes I give Eidiya digitally through banking apps or transfers, especially since my nieces are often in different emirates during Eid. Many people also travel during Eid nowadays, so sending it online has become more convenient while still keeping the tradition," he told Aletihad.
Even so, Alhammadi said that handing over Eidiya in person still carries a meaning that digital transfers cannot fully replace. "When we gather in person, I still like giving it by hand because it feels more special," he added.
Among younger Emiratis, Eidiya has also taken on forms that reflect everyday social habits. Sara Mohammed, 22, and her friends sometimes exchange it through coffee credits rather than cash.
"Among friends, we sometimes send Eidiya through coffee apps like Beanz. It's basically credit so they can grab a coffee later in the day," she told Aletihad.
"Going out for coffee has become part of our Eid plans, so it's a fun way to celebrate together even in a small way."
For older generations, however, Eidiya remains bound to memories of neighbourhood visits, open homes and long days spent moving from one family gathering to the next.
Mouza Obaid, a 47-year-old mother from Al Ain, recalled the atmosphere that surrounded Eid when she was a child.
"When I was growing up in Al Ain, Eid had a very special feeling in the neighbourhood. All the children would line up beside our grandfather as people came to greet him and visit the house," she told Aletihad.
"Each visitor would give the children Eidiya one by one, usually small amounts like five or 10 dirhams. By the end of the day, we would have collected quite a lot, because families would go around the neighbourhood visiting every home to exchange Eid greetings. It was a simple tradition, but it created a strong sense of community."
Obaid added that although Eidiya exchange methods have changed, the anticipation children feel has not faded.
"Today things are a bit different, with families sometimes living in different cities and people even sending Eidiya digitally, but the excitement children feel when receiving it is still the same."
