Celebrations amid the Coronavirus Pandemic
By Deepa Bharath
Every year, on the first night of Ramadan, Zainab Husseini has invited family members to her home for an iftar dinner, with which Muslims break their daylong fast during the holy month. But, this year, statewide stay-at-home orders due to the coronavirus pandemic threw a wrench in what has been an annual tradition at Husseini’s home for more than a decade now.
“I thought we still needed to find a way,” said the Placentia mother of two. “So, I prepared food and put them in boxes.”
Family members drove over to her home and picked up the iftar boxes. At sundown, the family congregated on Zoom, broke their fast with dates, prayed together and ate their meals.
“Our family truly felt connected and not alone,” Husseini said. “It was beautiful.”
Muslim families around Southern California have found new and creative ways of celebrating the holiday this year, with mosques shuttered and community events canceled because of the global pandemic. Community iftars were canceled, as were home visits to see friends and family — a cherished custom during these holidays.
But, like Husseini, others have found ways to keep up the spirit of Ramadan. Lubna Dadabhoy of Chino said she felt bad when she heard a friend’s child say: “This is going to be the worst Eid ever.”
“I was just so sad to hear children being disheartened because it wasn’t going to be a usual celebration this year,” Dadabhoy said.
So, she posted special items families can make together during the holidays on her YouTube Ramadan Craft Channel. She said she thought of crafts families can make with things they have at home.
“It’s just things people can make with markers, paper and balloons,” she said. “That was important especially this year, when you can’t just go to the store and when people are trying to save money.”
On her YouTube channel Dadabhoy shows how to make colorful balloon columns with balloons and ribbons. She decorates the top of the column with a crescent moon. Another idea she shares on the channel is a scavenger hunt for kids, which she says, is based on the CBS show “The Amazing Race.” The response to her crafts and ideas, Dadabhoy said, has been “overwhelming” this year.
“A lot of people are just trying to do things this year that will keep the spirit alive,” she said. “With Eid coming up, it’s the perfect reminder to celebrate, to be joyful. It improves your mood when you keep creating something positive.”
In her own home, Dadabhoy went all out for her four sons, ages 13, 11, 7 and 4. She set up a craft table for the kids. She covered her pantry door with butcher paper and put up paper stars so the children could write what they were grateful for on each star. On the pantry door, she wrote the words: “We welcome the noor (light) of Ramadan.”
She and her sons also painted toilet paper and paper towels, put them on fishing lines and hung them up from the ceiling. She set up a hot chocolate, coffee and chai station. Most importantly, she created a prayer area with rugs where the family could spend the evening together in prayer.
“Since we couldn’t go to the mosque, I tried to bring the mosque vibe to our home,” Dadabhoy said.
Amana Siddiqi said she, too, has made a special prayer area in her Fountain Valley home, reminiscent of the mosque their family attends in Garden Grove. Her father-in-law, Muzammil Siddiqi, is the imam and religious director of the Islamic Society of Orange County in Garden Grove. She has put up balloons and decorations in their backyard for her children, ages 14, 11 and 1.
“This year, we’re also going to do a virtual gift exchange with the rest of the family,” Siddiqi said.
What she has really enjoyed this year is staying home during Ramadan.
“We eat our morning and evening meals together as a family,” Siddiqi said. “We set the table together. Usually, we go out a lot during Ramadan and this family connection is not there. This year, we’ve eaten and prayed together every single day.”
This year, for Eid, several mosques have organized drive-by parades through their parking lots. Siddiqi said the Garden Grove mosque, which is famous in the community for offering chai, or spiced tea, during Ramadan, will have volunteers at a drive-thru serving tea to people in cars. They’ll also put Ramadan goody bags in vehicle trunks so they can maintain social distancing, she said.
The Islamic Center of Irvine also will host a drive-through Eid celebration with doughnuts from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, said President Sadaf Agha. Visitors are encouraged to dress up and decorate their vehicles. Volunteers will place the doughnuts in vehicle trunks so there is no contact, she said.
The Islamic Community Center of Redlands also is asking community members to drive around the mosque “as a show of unity and togetherness.” On Saturday, May 23, the mosque will hand out toys to children, also in a drive-through, to mark the end of Ramadan and to celebrate Eid.
Husseini and her family plan to decorate their car this Sunday, drive to family members’ homes and drop off goody bags. While the coronavirus pandemic did initially dampen the celebrations, it has turned out into a holiday dedicated to the home and family, she said.
“Maybe we overlooked the little things every year. This Ramadan has been truly filled with spirituality and reflection.” - The Orange County Register
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