I wasn’t sure whether I was the right one to write about Eid in Egypt. My memories related to Eid were a bit foggy as if they were coming from another era or another life. I had to start writing notes to remind myself what Eid was for me.

The first memories that come to my mind are buying new clothes to wear exclusively during Eid. Later, these clothes were kept for very special occasions like wedding parties in the family. After that, we could wear them anytime. During the last four years, I haven’t almost bought any new clothes. I reuse my old clothes or the ones I get from family and friends or have some unused fabric designed by tailors.

Helping my mother make biscuits, fayesh and kaak a few days before Eid is something I really miss. Fayesh is a popular kind of crunchy bakery in South of Egypt where I come from. I’m already craving it just writing about it. How mouth-watering it smelled after getting it out of the oven! Cooking was my mother’s forte, and Fayesh and molokhia which are both typical Egyptian dishes were one of many recipes she excelled at. Actually, she was a multitasked woman; a cook, a baker, a tailor, a teacher, a mother, a father and more. I wish I had learned their recipes from her before she got dementia.

Traveling to Aswan where my mother’s family has lived was another aspect of celebrating Eid. My mother had seven siblings. Almost all of them used to go to the family’s house there in Eid so we ended up being crammed in the house. We rarely went to hang out and visit historic places or amusement parks! Maybe the reason behind it was because the streets were always crowded during festivals and it seems we preferred to be crowded inside the house, instead of in public!

During Eid, we looked forward to seeing new movies. Cinema wasn’t a common place to go in my hometown so our way to watch the latest movies was to wait for the premieres on the tv during Eid. That was before the time of the internet. Now, we don't have to keep waiting anymore. We can choose when and where to watch what we want.

As a child, I patiently waited to receive Eidiya, an amount of money given by adults to children. The bigger the amount was, the more excited I felt. I used to save the money with my mother so I could buy something I needed later. Now, it’s my turn to give Eidya to my niece and nephew.

Eid has ever provided a sense of joyfulness and togetherness. I don’t know whether it’s Eid which changed or it’s us who changed. However, there’s still a chance to create new happy memories. I’m going back home by the end of Ramadan. I'll spend Eid with my niece and nephew and spoil them with outings and Eidya and at the same time, recharge my batteries and lift my spirits.

Eid Mubarak!