Day 58: Eid-al-Fitr under COVID-19 Curfew
The Caravan staff, writers, and editors wish the AUC community a blessed Eid-al-Fitr holiday. These are the stories of how they will spend the Eid holiday under the COVID-19 curfew.
Day 58: May 23, 2020
Global cases: 5,397,950; Deaths: 343,608
Egypt cases: 16,513; Deaths: 735
The Caravan Crew
In the morning, the first thing I will do is savor my coffee, and to work a little on the friendship bracelet I’m currently working on. My family decided that we’re going to gather later in the evening on the first day of Eid-al-Fitr for a movie to watch. I don’t think I’ll bail on these movie night plans. Not today, at least.
Just the other day my dad and I seized the empty streets and went to run some errands together. He commented on the empty billboards as we raced on the Ring Road. One billboard after the other, I was reminded of the movie, Zombie Land. I think I might go for another drive with my dad to look at these empty billboards again, not in remorse, but in a comforting pause. It’s the first time that I am not induced into visual advertising stimuli on the road. I think while we’re at it, we’ll try to hunt for some kahk and ghorayeba
– Lilian Gamal Abdel Malak
I’ll be spending my first day of Eid as I always do – with my cousins. For the first time in about two months I’m having my first human interaction outside of my own household.
Now before I get yelled at, they have also been self isolating and have been practicing social distancing – they’re also my neighbors so I guess this makes things easier.
Needless to say, this year will be different than any other year because we will be celebrating at a distance. Everyone is six feet apart, they have their masks on, sanitizers close by, kahk in one hand and tea in the other.
– Nada Wahba
This Eid-al-Fitr is going to be the most simplistic Eid of all time to me – and, no, it doesn’t exclusively have to do with quarantine, albeit the current COVID-19 outbreak has played an undeniably huge role in shaping up what the holiday would look like to me. This Eid-al-Fitr, all extravaganza is to be thrown out of the window. That means that I am only dedicating it to me, myself, and maybe a couple of bites of Kahk and ice cream.
It’s going to be a time of reflection and healing my mental wounds by myself, away from any and all obligatory rounds of pretending to like people who are, ultimately, no more than strangers to me.
One thing is for certain: This Eid is one that is going down in history (or one out of two, if the cure for the novel coronavirus is not discovered by Eid Al-Adha).
– Dalia (Lia) AbdelWahab
On the first day of the holiday, I’m submitting my final paper for the semester! The professor was gracious enough to extend the deadline to May 24, but now I wish she hadn’t haha. Anyway, I’m in the North Coast with my family. I intend to enjoy the weather and watch tons of TV classics. I’m also having a small Zoom gathering on the second day of Eid-al-Fitr There’s not much going on, I look forward to it being a cozy and comfortable Eid.
– Basant Samhout
For the past years, just like everyone else, it’s been a tradition of ours to go have a nice breakfast somewhere with a good, and a rather sunny view when Eid arrives. And we usually start heading to the North Coast on the second day. I mean, hanging out and travelling with your family and favorite people to a nice place by the sun after a long-quarantined Ramadan isn’t a bad idea, right? However, due to the current obvious circumstances, staying at home is the only option. It surely isn’t the best scenario for someone who just ended their last ever semester as an undergraduate and is expected to ‘celebrate’.
That being said and apart from the story of everyone’s lives these days, my family and I have decided that instead of being upset about the lockdown and fears of corona, we plan to happily spend Eid in the safety of our own home, drinking tea, eating Kahk and playing board games! And honestly, it’s not so bad. Actually, it’s the little things we should appreciate, especially in moments like these.
– Aya Aboshady
Finally, the wait is over and I can have my morning coffee again. What I personally love about Eid-al-Fitr the most is the happy vibes it spreads. And even with all that’s currently going on in the world, I am resting assured knowing that I can celebrate Eid with my family, even though my dad and sisters are currently abroad, but we scheduled a Facetime call to celebrate together first thing in the morning.
Eid has always been about wearing our new clothes and watching classic plays like Al ‘Eyal Kebret (The Children have Grown Up) or Sok ‘Ala Banatak (Take Care of Your Daughters) while eating kahk and biscuits with some tea with milk. My elder sister and I would never get bored of doing that for the first two days. And since we are all locked down, watching traditional plays is going to be extensive this year.
– Eman Kharoshah
As the freshest of fresh grads, I am planning on spending my first few days of Eid, which are also my first few days as an unemployed graduate, hunting for full-time positions or freelance positions that can keep my need for purpose satisfied.
I could lie and say that I am excited for quality time with my family but this lockdown has made me long for quality time with anyone else. Quality time is no longer quality since we have been cursed with a surplus of it. This Eid will fail to be much different from Ramadan or the month prior to it. I will still be stuck at home, staring at my computer screen for long hours and scrolling through my camera roll remembering the ‘good old days.’
As much as I am bitter about how I am spending my second year of my precious twenties, I am beyond happy with mine and my family and friends’ awareness. We are all people who chose to self-quarantine despite our deteriorating mental health and longing for socializing.
– Salma Ahmed
