Auckland Eid Day – To the community from the community

Auckland Eid Day – To the community from the community

Thousands of people attended the cultural and religious occasion – Eid Al Adha which was held on Wednesday 16 October 2013 at ASB show grounds from 8am to 4pm.

During this second and last major Islamic festival of the year, Muslims came together for spiritual observance through prayer and charity as well celebrating the achievements which mark the end of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca which is the last of the five pillars of Islam. Eid Al Adha is also known as the Feast of Sacrifice because it traditionally includes the offering of an animal permitted for food (e.g. a lamb) as an act of thanksgiving for God’s mercy which is then shared with the poor and needy. Auckland Eid Day Project Manager Ouadhah Ragued says “The event’s continued growth has been phenomenal since its launch in 2011. Eid Al Adha despite being on a weekday still attracted thousands of visitors to celebrate this auspicious occasion in an atmosphere of unity”

Throughout the event, people of all races and background joined at one place and immersed themselves in the annual celebration of Eid Al Adha where there was something for everyone. A variety of merchandise stalls were on show such as unique designs of Moroccan items, skilfully decorated Mecca chocolate trays plus a variety of women and children’s Islamic accessories. A variety of educational stalls were also included but not limited to New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation, Fatima Foundation and Muslims Scouts New Zealand.

There were numerous games available for the children to enjoy including mini jeeps, bungy jump, party castle, toddler play lands and more. Face painting was also available offering from pretty butterflies to super heroes. The adults were not forgotten in the world of art where females were delighted to have Henna applied on their hands - a temporary tattoo, symbolic for joyful occasions across many regions where each design is unique in its own way. Cultural performances were staged and for the first time a movie was shown – Journey to Mecca – Story of the great Moroccan explorer Ibn Batuta was played at this October 2013 event.

As the day progressed to lunch time, the varieties of mouth-watering cuisines were another highlight of the day. The attendees had the opportunity to experience the delicious and tantalising flavours of Afghanistan, Egypt, Hungary, India, Lebanon, Malaysia, Pakistan, Turkey and for the first time since its launch in 2011, Auckland Eid Day offered the community a taste of Argentinean barbeque and Japanese seafood. The team of Auckland Eid Day was also privileged and pleased to have been visited by Bangladesh Consul General Ataur Rahman and Sunny Kaushal representing the Labour Party.

Auckland Eid Day aims to continue providing the Auckland Community with more fun filling and variety of activities in the years to come for the two major Islamic celebrations Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha due to the positive feedback received through Auckland Eid Day facebook page and feedback form. “Eid Mubarak n A Huge Shukran to the Team, Organisers , Volunteers for making Auckland Eid Day happen to b such a joyous event. It is an amazingly beautiful event, The Eid Salaah was beautiful.Thank You Warmest Appreciation.” commented attendee Fatima Dollie as well as “Loved the Auckland Eid experience! definitely will be joining you next time inshaallah [god-willing]” and “Multicultural gathering, great venue” was added by Hannah Tawfeek and Mohammad Noman respectively.

As it is a non-profit organisation managed and run by volunteers. Auckland Eid Day has been fortunate to have support from just over 100 helpers for this October event nevertheless the team of Auckland Eid Day is always open to consider any help and support on offer from the Muslim and wider communities to ensure the smooth running of the event in the years to come.

Volunteers’ Manager Shezan Aroos says “...given the opportunity to lead a group of 100 individuals reinforced my own personal beliefs of contributing to an event that brings people together. As the volunteer manager I observed this was conveyed via the volunteers' passion and engagement in bringing together a community of diverse cultures and ethnicity, resulting in a positive and joyful day.”

Khadija Yasin, volunteer on the day also expressed her experience during the event “Volunteering at the ASB Show grounds was an interesting experience. I really enjoyed meeting Muslims from different backgrounds in New Zealand. And learnt a lot from interacting and working with the other volunteers. It was a great way to meet new people and make friends"

Auckland Eid Day has managed to provide the community with yet another joyous Islamic occasion for the third time in a row and would like to thank all the Muslim organisations and businesses in Auckland including Kebabs on Queen, Asma Yogurt, Imam Halal Meats, Kiwi Lawyers and Shefco who have generously contributed towards the strength and continuity of this bi-annual event.

For more information and pictures on this biannual initiative, visit Auckland Eid Day’s official website at: www.aucklandeidday.co.nz, like their FB page: www.facebook.com/AklEidDay or Follow them on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AucklandEid.

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