What is the most exciting part of Eid? From food to fabulous outfits, find out everything you need to know about Eid

Published on: 12 April 2022

The creators of The Most Exciting Eid, Zeba Talkhani and Abeeha Tariq, tell us all about how they celebrate Eid.

Portrait of  Zeba Talkhani by Chris Boland

What do you usually do at Eid? What's your favourite Eid tradition? 

Zeba: I visit my family and spend the day with them. I wear new clothes and I buy gifts for my friends and family. My favourite Eid tradition is receiving guests who come to visit my family and sharing food with them.

Abeeha:  Now that I’m an adult and am usually working on Eid, my Eids are quite different to how they were when I was younger. When I was younger, there would be a usual routine for every Eid. The night before Eid, my mam used to do my mehndi and her own – and now that I’m older, it’s me that does the mehndi! We’d get the day off school, my family would wake up early, get dressed and head to the mosque for the morning Eid prayer. I loved (and still love) seeing all the different people at the mosque dressed up in the traditional clothing of their own cultures. When we got back, my grandmother, who usually stayed home, would have a brunch spread prepared including: homemade kachoriyan, aloo chana puri, kebabs, samosas and plenty of desserts too. Because my grandmother loved to cook for everyone, we’d also have guests over for brunch and throughout the rest of the day who got to enjoy her cooking too. We would also visit other family-friends’ houses and enjoy a traditional dinner later that evening too. At Eid, we also still phone or video call family who are spread across the world to wish them a happy Eid and to see what everyone’s wearing and getting up to.

What are your favourite Eid foods?

Zeba: My favourite Eid food is sheer khurma. It's a sweet dish prepared especially for Eid. It's made with vermicelli and milk and also includes lots of other delicious ingredients like nuts and dates. Growing up the tradition was to have biryani for lunch and that's what I still love to have as an Eid meal.

Abeeha: All the things my grandmother used to make from scratch! She wasn’t always able to spend a lot of time standing up cooking due to her health but she would go all out for Eid, spending the evening before prepping everything – homemade kachoriyan, aloo chana puri, samosas. She always poured so much love and effort into her food. I also love the rice dishes like pilau and biryani.

What's your favourite thing about celebrating Eid?

Zeba: My favourite thing about celebrating Eid is reconnecting with my family and friends. It's a great opportunity to make time for people who you don't live close to and who you don't get to see often. There is a festive feeling in the air and people are able to forget their daily routine for a while and enjoy the day with loved ones.

Abeeha: For me, Eid is all about spending time with and connecting with family and friends and having the best food. As a lover of fashion and sparkly things, I also love getting dressed up in colourful Pakistani clothing and jewellery, and seeing everyone else in their traditional clothing too.

 

The Most Exciting Eid by Zeba Talkhani and Abeeha Tariq is out 7^th April.