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Having worked out of an office in the vicinity of Old Delhi where Eid
celebrations remain paramount around this time, my expectations knew no
bounds from my first Eid as a non-Muslim in an Islamic country. While I
had some idea about how normal life takes a complete turn during Ramadan
here, I was hardly prepared for what it truly entailed. I remember
writing excited mails to friends in my anticipation of markets and
public places exploding into glittering lights and colorful stalls
during night and the usual hustle bustle during the day. Needless to
say, I was spoilt by the atmosphere around Diwali and Holi back home.
But Eid in Qatar has many other facets to it and I was in for lot of
surprises – more good than bad.
Besides office hours slashing down by two hours with most employees
fasting, one cannot eat, drink or smoke in public during Ramadan,
keeping with the local custom and tradition. This meant all eating
joints in the city remaining closed till sun down. This also meant
stocking up the fridge well while shops are still open and not relying
on a quick snack from a drive-away like on normal days. But as the
blistering sun languidly goes down, making way for the first drop of
water and nibble for the believers, the whole town seems to take to the
streets to do nothing, but eat! With the unimaginable number of cars
raging on the roads to make to their destinations in no time, this month
also sees an alarmingly high number of road mishaps and accidents.
The preparation for the holy month starts a week ahead as grocery
shopping turns into a ‘consumer emergency.’ Shoppers queue in lines at
supermarkets with loaded carts, and rolls of riyals are exchanged for
rolls of grocery receipts. Then malls are decked up with Islamic art,
‘Ramadan Kareem’ and ‘Eid Mubarak’ banners, bright lights and colorful
lanterns. Stores display their latest Ramadani fashion trends and hotels
promote their special banquets for ‘iftaars’ and ‘suhoors.’ With
discounted rates on latest gadgets, household items, food, clothes and
what-have-you, one is bound to remain outdoors most part of the evening
exploring these offers.
Like other Arab countries, Qataris are also known for their family
intimacy. Although traditionally iftaars are had at homes along with
friends and relatives, with the boom of consumerism and innumerable food
joints attending to the whims and fancies of the consumers, Qataris too
have taken to eating out during Ramadan and Eid. These outings go on
till the wee hours of night and expatriates like me can make the most of
this festive season by exploring the city at night, which one is not
likely to do on a normal day.
Newspapers arrive thick and fat with list of discounted rates on goods
during this festive season. One is likely to receive a pack of iftaar
goodies while waiting at a traffic signal and receiving acts of
unexpected generosity from absolute strangers. A friend talked about how
he and his friends were offered money for movie tickets when his credit
card ditched him, and the lesson learnt on how refusing the money can
cause indignity to the offer. All this point towards one thing - the
spirit of Ramadan and what it preaches amongst the believers of Islam –
patience, tolerance, spirituality and generosity. Keeping with this
spirit, this month also sees the highest number of organ donation in
this part of the world and an iftaar organized for construction laborers
are not rare sights across the city. One can also donate old clothes,
food and other useful items at specific points near malls and other
important landmarks across the city.
This year Qatar highlights ‘Islamic calligraphy’ as its theme for
Ramadan and Eid. Both citizens and residents are encouraged to
participate in various events and activities such as – sand painting,
dance performances, fashion shows, painting and photography exhibitions.
There are a host of sports related activities taking place to boost
sports in the region.
Although many Qataris today feel that globalization and consumerism has
taken away the simplicity and goodness of Ramadan and Eid, but this
transformation is happening worldwide and is inevitable. For instance,
not being an expert in detecting the Qibla’s direction by the sun is no
longer a problem. Using Qibla apps for your prayers can be an easy
one-tap solution. Tablet and smart phone apps can also be used for
digital Quran recitation, Islamic e-lessons and alerts for adhaan,
iftaar and suhoor. But despite these changes I’m sure that the first
sweet taste of dates after hearing the Maghrib adhaan tastes just as
good today as it did a century ago.
This post was published in: http://thethumbprintmag.com/content.php?cat=Culture%20and%20Society&content=Eid%20in%20Qatar
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