Eid-ul Fitr is supposed to be full of joy and community for all Muslims. But the sad truth is that many new Muslims feel left out after fasting Ramadan and sharing Taraweeh and iftars with the community.
The reason for this is no one’s fault. Most raised Muslims spend their time on ‘Eid with family. And forget that new Muslims in their community don’t have Muslim family to celebrate with.
With a little creativity and a dose of thoughtfulness, you can make the new Muslims near you feel included. Here are some ways to share Eid joy with new Muslims this year.
1- Invite new Muslims to your Eid party, introduce them to people, and introduce them to your special dishes and halal customs.
2- Even if new Muslims cannot join you on Eid, share food with them. Send them a dish from your gathering.
Photo credit: Sofie Caballero
3. Make new Muslims feel as they are not forgotten on this special day. Call, text or otherwise send them an Eid Mubarak message.
Photo credit: Mariam Stewart
4- Ask new Muslims to join you on your Eid outing. You can even give a New Muslim a gift. It doesn’t have to be anything big, but in the case of the new Muslim, the thought is what counts. Since new Muslims often feel left out of Eid, a gift will mean a lot. It doesn’t take much to make a new Muslim feel included.
Photo credit: Eid Creations
5- Introduce new Muslims to new traditions. They are liking leaving behind many old traditions when they left their old faith. Replacing them with halal and even Islamic traditions, like henna for women, is a great way to help them fill the void most converts feel.
Photo credit: Abigail Walters
6- Make baked good for the new Muslims in your life. Many new Muslims have good memories of sharing and making cookies or cakes during the non-Muslim holidays. Making baked goods for new Muslims will make them feel more at home in their as they incorporate old traditions into the new traditions in their lives.
Photo credit: Joseph Stewart
7- Invite new Muslims over to help you decorate for ‘Eid. Decorating with friends and family is one custom from their old faith that might make them feel welcome and comfortable. And inviting the new Muslim in your community to help you decorate can take a lot of work off of your hands.
Photo credit: Jennifer Aslam
(From Discovering Islam’s archive.)