Today's Edition
BATOOL GHAITH (ABU DHABI)
With Eid Al Adha drawing near, families across the UAE are preparing to mark the blessed occasion in a shared spirit of generosity, kinship, hospitality and unity, bringing to life cherished Emirati traditions.
In Emirati homes, Eid Al Adha begins before sunrise, families wake up early, dress in freshly prepared traditional clothes and head to Eid prayer.
On the morning of Eid Al Adha, mosques and open prayer grounds fill with worshippers exchanging greetings marking one of the most important celebrations in the Islamic calendar.
Once prayers conclude, families return home to receive relatives and guests over Arabic coffee, dates and sweets, while children eagerly wait for Eidiya, the cash gifts traditionally handed out by parents and grandparents during Eid.
The men immediately go to the designated slaughterhouses for the sacrifice ritual, so afterwards, the meat is distributed among people in need, relatives and neighbours.
Known in Emirati families as "Al Thabiha", the men cook the meat and prepare everything, while the women make the rice. "It is a tradition for us to have 'Thabiha' for breakfast," Faye Al Hammadi, an Emirati citizen in Abu Dhabi, told Aletihad.
Al Hammadi said that the men of the family start visiting all houses in the neighbourhood after prayer and "Thabiha".
"Women usually visit relatives and neighbours later in the day, and it is essential that we eat in every house we visit, out of respect," she noted.
Al Hammadi also said that every child must get a Eidiya. "We give children money, and we get gifts such as gold for mothers and grandmothers," she said.
Emiratis share the joy and Eid celebrations with everyone, she said, every house must be visited, not only in the neighbourhood but even if some family friends or relatives live further away.
"We love celebrating with everyone, and to share our traditions with our neighbours," Al Hammadi added.
For many Emirati families, preparing for Eid begins days in advance, from tailoring kanduras and abayas to preparing homes for visitors and organising large family gatherings, Noof Al Al Mehairbi told Aletihad.
Food also remains at the heart of Emirati Eid celebrations. Harees has to be on every table. The slow-cooked combination of wheat and meat that has long been associated with Ramadan and Eid gatherings across the UAE, Al Mehairbi explained.
She said that some families choose to travel together during Eid.
"A lot of families spend their Eid traveling outside for vacation as the entire family would be off. We choose to go to our house in Liwa and celebrate Eid there."
"It is a very special time for us as a family, and also to meet with friends and spend time together," Al Mehairbi added.
