Eid is a hard day for me, and for many other mothers, because there’s a pressure on our shoulders to do it right. Afterall, Eid is a special day for children especially. These are the memories they will carry with them for the REST OF THEIR LIVES… no pressure though ;) 

The days leading up to Eid are also especially important for adults. The Days of Dhul Hijjah hold incredible significance in Islam. There is a hadith in about fasting the day of Arafat, the 9th day of Dhul Hijjah, “It will expiate the sins of the previous and upcoming years” (Sahih Muslim 1162).  The ten days of Dhul Hijjah are the MOST sacred days of the year to Muslims. Again no pressure. We’re accustomed to gearing up for a month of spirituality during Ramadan, but there are actually four sacred months throughout the year, and Dhul Hijjah is one of them. The beautiful thing is Allah knows we aren’t perfect, we weren’t created to be, and it’s a blessing to have so many opportunities to do better for ourselves and connect with Allah. At Days of Eid, we shoot for the moon and know we’ll land among the stars. In a perfect world (a very very perfect world), this is how I would stay organized and prepare for Eid Al-Adha, to both maximize time to worship and not overwhelm ourselves as we fast these special days: 

14 Days to Go:  Order Eid clothes for the kids kids clothes including my own aka a HUGE struggle for me. I wear black about 360 days out of the year. I know some of you mamas’ kill it with the coordinating colorful outfits. Send help!...seriously though. 

11 Days ‘till Eid:  Download and Print out “Days of Eid Dhul HIjjah Activity” pack. Make sure to have some basic craft supplies on hand like,  scissors, glue, crayons, twine, cotton balls, construction paper &  set a daily time to do each activity with the kids.

10 Days until Eid: Deep clean the house. Drop off any clothes that need to be Dry cleaned. 

9 Days Away: Buy or order presents for everyone in the family. Thank God lots of the kids are asking for gift cards these days.

7 Days ‘till Eid: DECORATE! My theme this year is black and white (in an ideal world I’d have time to create a theme in advance). Picture this: Black Eid Mubarak Balloons complimented with white accent balloons. Strings of lamb and kabba garlands made by the kids from the Dhul-Hijjah Activity packet. The whole family is involved and they serve as reminders for us leading up to Eid.   

6 Days to Go: Pay the udhiya/qurbani. Both words mean sacrifice. The local mosque near me has a calculator for the donation amount per country

5 Days to Go: Make sweets! It’s sunnah to have sweets on Eid :) I’m Palestinian so I make Ma’moul, a date filled semolina cookie. And wooooowwww is it good. Check out @CookWithDena and @FufuintheKitchen for recipes. This would be the ideal time to come up with the Eid menu and order any food I need. 

4 Days to Go: Touch up the house with light cleaning. 

3 Days to Go: Pick up clothes from the dry cleaning depending on when they are ready. 

2 Days to Go: Wrap all presents and prep plates of sweets. We like to pass out both to our family and friends. 

1 Day to Go: Fast the day of Arafat. Iron everyone’s clothes and lay them out. Order iftar and break the fast. 

EID DAY! Make Arabic coffee with cardamom. The funny thing is I don’t actually drink the coffee, I just need the scent to wake me up on Eid morning. Take a moment to myself to get ready before getting ready. Pray Eid Salah! Load the car with the sweets and gifts and visit family. 

 

Remember Eid isn't about anything materialistic. So when things aren't going according to the plan I set in place, take a deep breath and know everything is from Allah. Mindfulness and gratitude are also forms of mental and spiritual self-care!  Eid Mubarak Days of Eid family!