How Rabia and her Family Celebrate Eid

Eid is a significant Muslim holiday that is celebrated twice a year. The first Eid celebration is Eid al-Fitr, which lasts three days, and translates to “breaking of the fast.” It marks the end of Ramadan, which is a month long fast. Since the Islamic calendar is on a lunar cycle, it depends on the sighting of the moon to signify the end of Ramadan and the start of Eid. For 2025, Eid al-Fitr is expected to start on March 30^th or 31^st.

Fatima, a mother of three children who are clients of Alta California Regional Center, shared that after fasting and praying throughout Ramadan, Eid is a special celebration that consists of feasting and gathering the family together. As a family from Pakistan, they wear cultural attire to celebrate Eid and will go to mosque just after dawn to pray. They also enjoy foods like chicken biryani and kebab beef during their feasts.

Eid al-Fitr is considered the “smaller” Eid celebration. The second one, called Eid al-Adha, is usually celebrated in June, and it translates to “feast of the sacrifice.” It celebrates the end of Muslims’ annual pilgrimage to Mecca, also called the Hajj. It spans over four days, and in preparation for the holiday, families will sacrifice animals to feed them, extended family members, those in need, and offer it God. Eid al-Adha, it is believed, honors God’s intervention with a ram when Abraham almost sacrificed his son.

Fatima recognizes the importance of instilling her culture into the lives of her children. Although children don’t have to fast until the age of 8 during Ramadan, she immerses them in their culture by making food they can share with students in their class. She also dresses them in their cultural attire for any celebrations.

As clients of the regional center, Fatima shared that their Service Coordinator has helped immensely with getting access to services like speech therapy and behavioral therapy. Overall, she has noticed an improvement in all three of her children’s lives and has a positive outlook on their continued progression. Fatima still advocates for an autism diagnosis for her youngest child, but is quite proud of him for using sign language to communicate his needs.