Guest Post: Nabila on celebrating eid

Hey you all, hope your week is going lovely. Today I’d like to introduce one of my closest friends here in Seattle. A talented photographer, awesome cook, and a dedicated wife/mom, besides working a full time job, Nabila is as close to super-woman as can be! She is one of those genuinely good people that we don’t run into very often these days! She and her husband welcomed their little guy earlier this year who makes the perfect little addition to their adventurous little family (mA)!

Here is what she had to say about her Eids.

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Tell us about yourself and your family

We are a small family of 3. I am a very proud mother to an adorable 8 month old who makes my life complete.

What does Eid mean to you?

Eid for me has always been about people. The people you spend it with, the people you have to call every year, and the people you miss because they are so far away. It is when the lines are erased between family and friends. I have not had too many of the traditional Eids that most Pakistanis have, but that is okay. I think I have come to cherish my-not-so-typical Eid, where we make our own traditions.

Tell us about any Eid traditions at your parents house when you were growing up

When I was growing up, most of our family was at least 8/9 hour drive away, my parents worked and we couldn’t always take a day off from school. Because nothing was constant we came to appreciate the little details that made our Eid Complete.

Some of my fondest memories are of us waiting for the package to come from Pakistan with our Eid clothes. Hoping it will arrive on time! I loved opened these packages because they were packed with love and smelled like Pakistan. The clothes would still have little pins in them that had your measurements on that you made sure you had to remove before you tried them on but every year the excitement of new clothes always made me forget.
Of my parents, and later my brothers making sure we go out the night before Eid to get me bangles and shoes that match my clothes. For some reason this was always a last minute thing at our house. We aren't known for planning. Of my mom getting up early in the morning to make kheer which made the whole house smell like a mix of cardamom, sugar and rose water. Of my dad waiting for all of us at the base of the stairs, rushing us, so we don't miss the Eid Nimaz.

The days would always end with us running around in our Eid clothes at a friends house getting the clothes we were so excited to wear, dirty, the bangles that were supposed to match,broken, and my hair clips missing.

Does you new little family (now that you are married/have children) have any of its own traditions?

As a working mom, I always have this guilt hanging over me that only other moms can understand. I want my son to have beautiful memories of Eid. I might not be able to give him the perfect Eid, but I hope he comes to love this slightly altered version of Eid like I have.

We make sure we put up lights outside the night before Eid. I make Kheer or Sheer Khorma that we give out to our neighbors. We go to the mosque in the morning and end up at someone's place surrounded by delicious food and friends who have become my family.

What do you want your kids to remember about Eid at 'their parents' house?

I want him to remember the magic and warmth of Eid and the people he spends it with. I feel like the holidays take us out of our routine and make us feel more special, more alive. Jokes are funnier, Kheer tastes better, friends are closer. We want to wear our nicest clothes and decorate our houses. Holidays freeze time and make us appreciate what we have.

No matter what our traditions are or how they change, I always want him to see the specialness in it. That no matter where he is in the world, or how old he is, my home and my heart will be open for him. He can always come home to the traditions he has come to treasure, where time will slow down, and life will be simpler.

all pictures taken by Nabila herself

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Thanks girl for sharing those beautiful memories/thoughts and pictures from your Eid. Hope your little family makes many many more of them in the years to come.

To view more from this series go here.

And thank you guys for stopping by!