Eid Haunts

Eid provides the perfect excuse for teenagers to get out and have the time of their lives. But 'where to' is a most perplexing question and one needs to ponder carefully and decide what to do too. In order to help you guys out, here's a brief list of the more popular things to do at certain places during Eid.

1) Lounging Out- With the opening of so many lounges, they prove to be an ideal spot for taking your friends and having a relaxing time. With a pocket full of Eidi it would be unwise to not spend some moolah at these lounges. They are considered affordable and it is also a known fact that very rarely will you run into your parents at these places. Also, lounges provide the exact atmosphere needed to hang out and have a great time in general. There are many such lounges like Kozmo Lounge, Leisure Lounge, D Pavement, to name a few.

2) Ridin' Dirty- This type of activity largely caters to boys but now even girls are getting in on the action. It is no secret that there are numerous 'rallies' that take place during Eid. This 'rally' refers to a large number of cars which basically ply the streets, one after another, usually playing the same song at the highest volume possible. It's a good sight actually and can be fun too. For a more cozy experience, a ride around Ashulia will suffice. However a CNG ride in Beribad is an amazing experience too. Some car races are also held, unofficially, so people can partake in them too just for the heck of it. It must be cautioned, that with the roads empty, bunch of inexperienced drives land on the streets and they inadvertently crash and burn, so be careful!

3) Arcades- Arcades are not very popular in Bangladesh but they are present. Arcades are cool and you should visit one during Eid. It's fun and exciting. Sports Zone, HFC, Thunderbolt and Wonderland too have loads to offer in their arcades. From air hockey, to pool to 'the claw', you can even go bowling. With food and music handy, you can get lost in virtual car races and even first person shootouts, so it's really cool. This is something that you and your friends are sure to enjoy. Boys would like to shoot pool too, yes even during Eid, because it's so much fun, thus for that you can check out DBC, Pool Lover's, Sport's Zone and now Thunderbolt.

4) Let's Eat- Once more eateries prove to be popular even during Eid when everyone is full. It's more like a fashion statement to be up at the most jumping 'teenage haunts' during Eid, which turns out to be eateries. A&W, Pizza Hut, Boomers, Café Mango and more are the more jumping spots. Since they all provide an atmosphere to 'chill' and to eat, it seems on Eid the focus is paid to the former.

5) Picnics- Picnics are also a great idea for grouping on Eid. All sorts of people vie to go to Cox's Bazaar, Ashulia perhaps, Jamuna Resorts etc to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life and just hang out with friends and family alike. This trend is more modern for the teenage culture, since this mentality was not so prevalent in the past.

Overall it can be understood that now there are many places to go with friends than there was before. Also, now Eid is not only about Salaamis and meeting relatives but it provides respite from classes, education and troubles and acts as days to celebrate with your friends in a carefree manner. Seeing all ages of children taking part in this celebration and that too from all sorts of different religions is a very intriguing and happy sight for all sorts of eyes, may they be beautifully 'lavender' or sore.

By Osama Rahman

The moment those eyelids part on Eid day, the nostrils begin to take in air and start to sense the smells and send the electrical signals of all the smells to the brain and the ears start to hear and make you aware of it, there seems to be something uniquely different in the air. Well that about explains how a typical Muslim person feels just after waking up on Eid day. But how about the non-Muslims? Do they feel any different? Let's see.

“I certainly feel different on Eid day.” Tanisha went on, “It is NOT just like another weekend.” So that about sorts it out. But that was before I asked Shantonu who replied with, “Nah, Kisui lage na.” After making queries about it to some people it got clear that the perception about this celebration is actually ambiguous! There are those pesky 'daddy's lil' girls' who find it as another excuse to buy new clothes while there are others who like the Eid Specials on TV and long for the yummy dishes supplied to the doorstep by the next door neighbour and some just stay holed up in their home and watch TV. That means we do feel different even if it is different in a different sort of way but the 'fun' is always there.

What the non-Muslims find most pleasurable about Eid is definitely the shopping as almost everyone had something to say about shopping, chaand raat shopping or shopping with friends. Even Chaand Raat shopping, you ask? Well it is sort of this that Somanta shared, “I was in class two then and it was Chaand Raat and the new clothes I had was a gift from an aunt which didn't fit me well. I was hell worried, I didn't have a new dress that fitted me well and my parents were like, 'Its ok you can wear the "chhoto" dress!' and I was like 'noooooo' and ultimately I won! My dad had to take me out in the middle of the night to buy a dress… yay!” Now that is definitely chand raat shopping! And there is of-course the 'standard' shopping with all the friends that starts almost a week before Eid.

Also almost all the people I asked had something to share about Eid when they were young. One even said that she found Eid more fun when she was young. And there is one experience that Tanisha shared about her younger days' Eid. “When we used to go someplace when we were young, the hosts used to ask, 'Jhaal khaba na mishti khaba?' The brave answer was, 'jhaal khabo!' The connotation was that we were old enough to handle jhaal food.”

And Food! Yes that is one thing that hangs everyone from a single thread. The food is just one of those aspects of Eid that makes us go bananas/bonkers/you name it. And do we go on the verge of incontinence after a bout of non-stop eating on the Eid day? Yes, we do as a third of all the people I asked replied with a 'Yes'. Also most non-Muslim house prepare special meals on the Eid day for reasons such as the dads have to host Eid Parties or just because the whole country is celebrating. No wonder the 'Saline people' make brisk business during Eid!

A celebration such as Eid brings about a whole raft of emotions, fun and enjoyment that is hard to not notice and the non-Muslims surely don't. It is a day when we too get out and get going and make it our job to have fun with everyone.

By Hitoishi Chakma

This Eid, the newly revamped 'Jatra' has a happening line for children, with colourful screen-prints for boys and girls. Of course, there is also a lot of color here. The sizes start 6 months onwards. Prices range from Fatuas Tk.160-500, Girls dresses/boys shirts: Tk. 250-1080..

For Eid gifts with flair, check out the fresh paper products including greeting cards, note-books have been beautifully crafted to reflect the change in 'Jatra'. Their ever-popular lamps have a different touch with more pastel shades.