Ramzan ends and Eid is here folks! This one’s going to be hard though. Some of us have lost loved ones, some are still suffering the after effects of covid, many students are sitting their exams, and … the economy is the worse for it. Not just that, but the emotional drain on our anxiety levels is just about hitting rock bottom … have I got you sufficiently depressed?
Okay, so here’s the deal. As I was contemplating Eid it struck me that we need to be mindful of the following. Wait, wait, wait, don’t switch off! I promise you not to give a bhaashan! But just listen in:
7 Things You Must Do After Ramzan (And When You Spend Eid in Lockdown)
1. Call family
If you can’t see them, call them. Covid has meant that we haven’t some family members in quite some time. They might be living abroad, or in quarantine, or perhaps, their parents are here alone and they are stuck abroad due to air travel lockdown.
Call them. Make a list of people you’ve mentally promised yourself to call and do it now.
Continue your good deeds post Ramzan and do this for yourself and others. You will have made some people very happy!
2. Take a family Selfie & email/Whatsapp it to friends as an Eid greeting
If you can only be with the family, make sure everyone dresses up for Eid and take that selfie now. Eid selfies carry through to the next year because there’s rarely a time that everyone manages to make it in one frame, or, someone isn’t tayyar and doesn’t want to be caught on camera. Eid is the time to throw all that away and ensure that you have not one, not 2 but multiple selfies and group photographs that serve as timeless memories.
Pick the best one, get yourself busy on Photoshop, Canva, whatever you’re familiar with, and create frame to remember! You can even make an entire Eid album and share it with your group! How’s that for creativity. Of course, there’s always the snapchat story but this one will stay!
3. Order takeaway to help out your local business and restaurants
Restaurants have taken a hit in Covid. Many have shut down, others have had to operate with reduced staffing. This means more unemployment in your area and also, might translate into more theft and crime in a post Covid world. How can we avoid this?
If we have been lucky enough to have a steady stream of income in Covid times, then now is the time to give back to the community. Go local, buy local and try and keep jobs afloat. Eid is a busy time for the food business normally, so don’t let them down now. Just because you can’t visit a restaurant doesn’t mean you can’t keep their business running!
4. Check in with those who’ve lost a loved one
Eid is a moment of joy and festivity. However, there are more people this year than before, who have unexpectedly lost a loved one due to Covid. Be sensitive, think of their loss and take some time out to ask how they’re coping on this day. Covid makes it harder as we can’t always be with the ones we love to mourn the loved ones we’ve lost.
It’s as simple as that. So pick up that phone and give them a call!
4. Be Thankful
Be thankful. Instead of complaining about the inconveniences of lockdown, be thankful that you and your loved ones are okay. That all you have to do is wear a mask and stay home. That life might not be normal, but it is still THERE! And in that thankfulness, you will stop feeling so frustrated about exams being postponed yet again, not being able to hold a large wedding function or eating at your favourite restaurant!
If anything, this is the one takeaway from Ramzan we must always have with us!
5. Try and continue healthy eating
That extra samosa or pakora at iftar was okay when you were fasting, but Roza is a reminder to cleanse our bodies and detox at regular intervals. Why wait all year to do that. Some people fast once a week or once a month or on special days. Why not follow the same rule to reset your body throughout the year. Ramzan is a reminder to look after our health, and the best time to continue it is straight after rozas – okay, maybe straight after day 1,2,3 on Eid … but soon after!
The gains are amazing, so set a reminder in your calendar to get back to healthy eating!
6. Spirituality Is Not Just For Ramzan
If you started listening to a podcast, or a lecture that taught you things you wanted to know but never had time to find out, why leave it for an entire year again. Stay in the flow whilst you’re already in the habit.
Keep one habit change as a goal. It could be, trying to pray 5 times a day (if you’ve become a bit lax), or listening to one podcast, or reading up a paragraph, a book that connects you with God or gives you knowledge that you seek!
Ramzan is all about personal growth, so why leave it to one month to do what you can carry on all year round!
7. Be careful not to break lockdown rules
Easier said than done. Please try and take this seriously. The world doesn’t need more covid, and neither do you. Stick with the SOPs and stay safe!
Have a happy Eid everyone, hope the (not so bhaashan) bhaashan was worth it! Enjoy that sheer! Which type do you like btw? The runny one or the thicker consistency?
