Get ready for fun at the Wellesley Eid Festival, hosted by Muslims of Wellesley, with World of Wellesley, on Sunday, June 23, noon-3pm, at Warren Park, 94 Washington St. (the playground area in front of Wellesley Rec. Dept.) Everyone is welcome for an afternoon of free family fun including crafts, henna, ice cream, and more. Note: the Rec. Building will not be open, so no public restrooms will be available at the site.

2024 Wellesley High School graduate Zaynab Khan explained to us what the celebratory holiday is all about:

“Muslims celebrate two major holidays at different points in the Islamic calendar. Both Eid-al-Fitr and Eid-al-Adha are joyous occasions celebrated around the world. Eid-al-Fitr marks the end of the Holy month of Ramadan—where Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset each day—while Eid-al-Adha commemorates the completion of the Hajj pilgrimage.

Sunday, June 16, was Eid-al-Adha. Preparation for the celebration starts days in advance, as delicious food is cooked and intricate henna is applied to girls’ hands. Each year, Muslims take care of those in need by giving Qurbani, a sacrifice given to the poor. On Eid morning, Muslims attend a special prayer. The rest of the day is spent celebrating with friends and family. To the American Muslim community, Eid means practicing cultural joy and appreciating your community. To wish a Muslim a happy Eid, you can say ‘Eid Mubarak!’ “

Thanks for the tutorial, Zaynab, and all the best to you in the fall at Smith College.

The last time Wellesley held an Eid event was in 2019, coordinated by a strong contingent of Wellesley youth. COVID then put the kibosh on the festivities for a few years.

Thanks to organizers WHS graduate Emaan Tariq, Rama Ramaswammy of World of Wellesley, and others, the momentum is back, and hopefully an Eid Festival will become one of Wellesley’s yearly traditions.