After a month of fasting, prayer, and discipline during Ramadan, the Muslim community gathered this year at Medford High School to celebrate Eid with joy, color, and unity. Families arrived early in the morning wearing new clothes, greeting each other with warm smiles as “Eid Mubarak” echoed with children running around excitedly.
Eid marks the end of Ramadan, a month where Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset and focus on prayer, and self discipline. Eid is a time to give thanks, visit family, share meals, and celebrate together. Many cultures also have traditions like wearing new clothes, giving gifts, and elders giving “Eidi” (money) to children.
Imam Shuaib Abu Hamza from the Malden Islamic Center described Eid in one word: “happiness.”
“It’s a good job, a hard job. Allah gives us Eid to feel happiness after [Ramadan] like your paycheck is Eid.” His message was simple: Eid is a moment to wake up the heart, feel close to God, and celebrate the blessings of the community.
This year’s prayer brought together hundreds of Muslims from Malden and surrounding cities. The prayer hall at Medford High was filled with families from Afghanistan, Morocco, Libya, Yemen, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and many more backgrounds all in celebration of Eid.
Children showed off their new outfits, parents greeted old friends, and everyone shared the same excitement of finally reaching this day. After the prayer, families visited each other’s homes, exchanged food, and continued celebrating throughout the day.
Students from Malden shared how meaningful Eid is to them as it isn’t just a holiday, but a cultural and spiritual moment shared among all Muslims.
Abdul, a student from Libya, said his favorite part of Eid is “meeting up with family and friends and having a great time after working hard all Ramadan. It feels like a reward.”
For many students, Eid is also a way to reconnect with their roots. Hamza explained, “I feel connected to my culture. As you can see, I’m wearing Libyan clothes… everyone feels connected to their culture.”
Tradition also plays a big role here. Asel shared a unique family tradition: “Every Eid since I was a little kid, I would always crave Dunkin Donuts in the morning. So every Eid, me and my family always have to get donuts with a cup of coffee.”
For some students, Eid is also a reminder to slow down and appreciate the moment. Rim offered advice to others: “Take the day and enjoy it. Spend time with your family, eat good food… you put in a lot of effort throughout the month, so take this day to really take a break and thank God.”
Across cultures Eid is celebrated with new clothes, visiting relatives, sharing meals, giving Eidi (money) to kids, hosting guests, special foods and sweets, and community gatherings. Even though the traditions differ, the feeling is the same everywhere: joy, gratitude, and togetherness.
Malden High is known for its diversity, and celebrations like Eid highlight the importance of understanding and respecting different cultures.
By learning about the Eid, the school community can become more connected and supportive. It reminds everyone that Malden’s strength comes from its various cultures coming together.
Whether through prayer, family traditions, or like simply enjoying the day, Malden’s Muslim community showed that Eid is a moment of happiness shared across generations.
As Imam Shuaib said, Eid is a gift, a chance to feel joy after hard work, to reconnect with loved ones, and to celebrate the blessings of life.
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