Eid Mubarrak
Islam uses a lunar calendar for its religious holidays, rituals, and celebrations. To determine what the day is for a holiday, a committee must be set-up to assess the exact position of the moon, which is of course aided by modern technology. But this is an old tradition, and indeed was one of the things that led the Arabs towards advances in astronomy.
So it was announced last night that today is officially Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan (the month of fasting for Muslims). It’s a quiet, peaceful time, one of family fun. There is also another Eid (al-Adha) that will occur closer to Christmastime. Like Christmas, people get vacation, friends and family gather around and have a big meal, and give gifts or eidhi (money).
Today I’ve had that John Lennon/Yoko Ono song about Christmas running around in my head. These lyrics in particular are relevant:
“Merry, merry Christmas/and a happy new year.
Let’s hope it’s a good one/without any fear.
War is over/if you want it.”
I pray for a happy, safe Eid today, and real solutions to get us out of the impasse facing Pakistan, America, and the perilous War on Terror in the coming year.
