Grier students celebrated Eid Al-Fitr this year with a cultural party held in the Living Room by the French club. Eid is held the morning after Ramadan, a month in the Islamic faith that promotes fasting, prayer, community, and service. Eid celebrates the end of  Ramadan and acts as a chance to reflect on the previous month. It is often a time when Muslim people go to the mosque to pray followed by gatherings of family and friends afterwards. 

The gatherings on Eid often include a lot of food and sweets. “And since I have a sweet tooth, I love that part,” said French teacher and French Club supervisor, Dr. Belhassen. “At the end of the day, I bet you, I have consumed at least a pound and a half of sweets,” said 

Before attending an Eid celebration, there are a few traditions to keep in mind. “There are some rules for going,” said Amalys Zahrouni ‘27. “For example, you have to wear new clothing, you have to look nice, you have to take a shower the night before. You have to eat something before you leave the house, otherwise you could be easily seen as fasting.”

Grier students were able to experience an Eid celebration on March 26th thanks to the efforts of Dr. Belhassen and the French club. “We celebrated Eid with sweets and drinks that represent Middle Eastern culture, and a beautiful decoration to represent Eid,” said Dr. Belhassen. 

For Muslims, Eid is not a celebration of the end of fasting so much as a time to focus on the fact that you have succeeded in fasting and could build better habits. “It’s not just eating and joking,” said Zahrouni. “You’ve been able to read your holy book, or pray, or become a little bit of a better person. You leave Ramadan, where you’re spending all of your mental energy focusing on just bettering yourself and being the best version you can, while getting to continue these habits that I’ve built.”