Prayers, gaiety mark Eid celebrations in Abu Dhabi

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Prayers, gaiety mark Eid celebrations in Abu Dhabi
People gather for Eid Al Adha prayer at Mohammed Bin Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi, September 12, 2016. Photo by Ryan Lim

Abu Dhabi - Abu Dhabi started the day with early prayers and thousands, wearing traditional clothing, went to mosques.

by

Ashwani Kumar

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Published: Mon 12 Sep 2016, 5:04 PM

Last updated: Mon 12 Sep 2016, 7:08 PM

People in the Capital marked Eid Al Adha with great religious fervour and enthusiasm on Monday.
Abu Dhabi started the day with early prayers and thousands, wearing traditional clothing, went to mosques. This was followed by sermons and socialising. Then it was the turn to get together and feast. Evenings saw people out in numbers at malls and parks. People were seen shaking hands and greeting each other 'Eid Mubarak'.

"This is the blessed 'festival of the sacrifice'. This is also a day to seek forgiveness," Abdullah Qubaisi said.

Amer Ali, another local, said Eid Al Adha is an important festival, especially in the times we are living.
"For me this is a day to forgive and forget, and start afresh. This festival highlights the need to respect ties between humans," Ali said.

The festival is best celebrated with feast. Mina animal market was a busy place and people filled there right after the morning prayers.

This was a day when friends also got together. An expat Nadeem Ashraf was joined by his friends from Dubai and Sharjah. And they made a sumptuous mutton biryani. "We are meeting after a long time and cooked together," Ashraf said.

Restaurants across the Capital had a lavish spread to satisfy everyone. For many, especially expat workers, this was of great help.

"All of us were together at the same time in our room. So we ate out as this was the best time to check the eateries," Ahmed Mohammed said.

Hassan Iqbal, who is working in the Capital for decades, said the old charm of Eid is now missing.

"Now, all just wish Eid over social media. It's mostly one festive message getting forwarded to all. Person-to-person contact is missing," Iqbal, an expat, said greeting his friend with a warm hug.
Eid Al Adha happened to be a special day for children and more so for girls. "We applied henna on hands and it was a fun night (on Sunday). I got Eidi today. I haven't planned what to do with it," Ziya Fathima said, who along with her friends Nashua Shfeeq and Zooni Saheed celebrated Eid together.
By evening, malls were packed with visitors. Yas Mall hosted traditional dances, Abu Dhabi Mall wooed children with Ice Age: Collision Course fun shows, Marina Mall and Al Wahda held events, and others too had festive activities to arrest everyone's attention.

The Corniche and parks too were fully occupied. Sweet shows dip brisk business running late into Sunday night.

Monday
 also saw people heading out to enjoy the weekend. "I am off to Muscat with my friends. I will be at Bar Al Jissah Resort and hope to have a rejuvenating weekend," Girish Mate said.


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