Eid celebrated with religious fervour, gaiety

Thousands of people, led by Rulers, Deputy Rulers and Crown Princes and other Shaikhs and officials, thronged Eid musallas and local mosques early morning to offer prayers. Worshippers set off from their homes soon after dawn. Some wore traditional clothing, while others wore white shirts to mark the start of Eid celebrations.

The Eid prayers was followed by the sermon and a supplication asking for forgiveness, mercy and help for all living beings across the world. “I made it a point to wake up early and wear something special. The night before, our house was full of relatives as the women decorated their hands with mehndi (henna),” said Hiba Nadeem.

“It’s a great time to celebrate togetherness and happiness. One should not forget to supplicate more and thank Allah for all the blessings bestowed upon us,” said Amreen Quraishi who was celebrating Eid with her family.

People from all walks of life celebrated Eid by forging closer ties with the family and the community. Roads to Dubai from Sharjah and Abu Dhabi were clogged with Eid travellers as practically everyone in this cosmopolitan nation celebrates the festival.

In Ras Al Khaimah, families celebrated the holiday mainly at the massive Saqr Public Park as the good weather blessed the occasion, or stayed at home.

Most of the parks and other public places in all emirates echoed the laughter of children as families came out in force to greet each other and wish their loved ones well for the future. Shopping malls and eating joints were full, with spontaneous buying lifting up sales. But much of the excitement was at home with another couple of holidays lined up.

Hotels experienced a high occupancy rate while thousands thronged the airport to take a flight to their hometowns for a quick holiday and family reunion.

Most beaches were full of people while labour accommodations had an atmosphere of gaiety about them as the hardworking men and women came out in their best dresses to meet compatriots.

UAE residents, finding the Eid Al Adha break a good opportunity to interact with each other and learn more about other cultures, prepared meals and shared them with friends and neighbours.

Several hotels and organisations put up special stalls and festivals to explore the Middle Eastern culture with cuisines from various parts of the region, at the picturesque waterfronts of the country.

Some of the biggest malls in the world here celebrated Eid with colourful performances and a host of raffle-based prizes and other incentives for shoppers through various promotions.

The great lifestyle destinations in the country made the occasion even more memorable for resident families and those visiting the UAE during the Eid holidays

Eid activities like performances and entertainment such as falconers, henna painting, hospitality tents serving Arabic coffee and dates, traditional dabkeh dancing, roaming mascots, Arabic calligraphy, concerts, stilt walkers, parades and live shows kept many enthralled. The Global Village, with its customary share of entertainment, amusement park outlets, eateries and superb bargains, gave Eid Al Adha the true multi-cultural dimension it is known for.

Early in the morning, people started to fill cattle markets as they moved towards the marked areas for slaughtering animals. Slaughter houses across the UAE were filled with buyers from different nationalities as they came together in a melee of bargaining.

“The market is usually crowded on the first two days of Eid and cattle prices are high during this time. Most people prefer to buy cattle in advance as they have a bigger choice in the market,” said Akrami Sultan. Prices for a goat ranged between Dh600 and Dh3,000, depending on the size of the goat.