Thoughts on Christmas and Eid

There are many similarities and a few differences

A family celebrates Eid (commons)

As you all may know, we Muslims don’t celebrate Christmas. Instead, we celebrate a holiday called Eid! Eid is a special time when friends and family come together to reconnect, share stories, and enjoy each other’s company. Sometimes, everyone gathers in one big group, and others visit each other’s houses. My family usually visits friends and families’ houses one at a time. Since most of our relatives are in Afghanistan, celebrating Eid in America feels a bit different.

We only have a few friends to visit here, so it’s less lively. But Eid is still exciting because it’s a time to celebrate completing Ramadan, a month of fasting!
One of my favorite parts of Eid is when kids get money as gifts from family and friends. Sometimes, people don’t give money, but most of the time, they do! Even parents give their kids money!

Eid is very special to me for two reasons:
1. It brings everyone together and makes everyone happy.
2. It reminds me of all our beautiful Eid memories in Afghanistan with our family and friends.

Okay, that’s enough about Eid. Now, let’s talk about Christmas!
Christmas is a holiday Christians celebrate to honor the birth of Jesus. In my religion, Jesus (peace be upon him) is a messenger of Allah. But for Christians, he is the Son of God. While I don’t believe that, I respect all religions equally.
During Christmas, people put up many decorations, usually in red, green, and white, but sometimes in other colors too! A big tradition is exchanging gifts, which can be anything—there are no specific rules about what the gifts should be. Oh, and then there’s Santa! According to what I’ve learned, Santa is the one who delivers all the gifts. He’s known as the “Father of Christmas.” People leave out cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for his reindeer. Then, at night, Santa climbs down the chimney and places gifts
under the Christmas tree. In the morning, kids get to open the presents!

Now, that’s what most kids believe. But here’s what I think (and know): Santa isn’t real! It’s your parents doing all the work that “Santa” gets credit for to make you happy. I know this because Santa has never visited my house—not once! Some might say, “It’s because you don’t celebrate Christmas,” or “It’s because you don’t put up a tree or decorations.” But I believe what I believe, and that’s not changing.

Here’s how Eid and Christmas are similar:
1. In both Eid and Christmas, kids get something special!
2. They are both celebrations of something meaningful for their respective religions. 3. Both are holidays where people gather and enjoy each other’s company.

Thank you so much for reading my blog! See you next time! Byeeeee!