Muslim Festivals and Ceremonies — Page 20
Eid ul Fitr sermon being delivered at islamahad, Tilford, Surrey. main street of the town and the public buildings are well illuminated at night and decorated with colourful buntings and pennants. . Early in the morning, on Eid day, after taking a bath, everyone puts on their best clothes. Children specially wear new garments. Perfume is worn by men and women alike as it was the tradition of the. Holy Prophet to wear perfume on such occasions. The breakfast often includes the sweet dish of SHEER KHURMA vermicelli cooked in milk with dried dates, raisins, almonds and other nuts. . Everyone is now anxious to proceed towards the Eidgah, normally an open space or park reserved for the Eid service. . Owing to the large number of Muslims involved, Eid service is conducted in large halls, the central mosque of the city or in the open, where huge marquees may be erected for the purpose of providing shelter from the weather. Women are specially enjoined to be present at Eid gatherings, hence a separate area is provided for them. This is because Islam does not permit the free intermingling of men and women. . As was the practice of the Holy Prophet of Islam, the worshippers go to Eidgah generally by one route and return by another. 20 20