Hala Al-Khatib - Beirut
Eid Al-Fitr comes at a difficult time, and everyone is waiting for a ray of joy after the new Corona virus quarantined people in their homes, and prevented them from spending the month of Ramadan family or with relatives and friends.
In Lebanon, which was suffering from an economic collapse before the spread of the virus, and still descending from the ladder disastrously, where many lost their jobs, and the most basic necessities of life became a dream; People have changed their festive, social, and nutritional habits, with prices above 100% for most commodities, even basic ones.
The manifestations of the month of Ramadan, barely some of them appeared in Lebanon, there are no decorations in the mosques or lighting for streets, and the same is Eid Al-Fitr, which comes with the continuation of the home stone and the legalization of the movement of cars between the odd and even numbers, as well as the curfew in the evening.
Shortcut greetings and commitment to homes
Meetings on Eid will be very limited, so some families have decided in advance to commit to homes and not to gather at the Eid table.
Bacterial Diseases Specialist Professor Jacques Mkhkabat warned against gatherings on the feast, saying that the spread of the virus necessitates different social practices and behaviors, and called for the appointments to be limited to phone and WhatsApp, and to avoid meetings and friction between people.
Eid pills and cleaning tools
Joking with his six children, Naji al-Hajj says they can choose Eid this year from the food he stored before he went insane.
Al-Hajj told Al-Jazeera Net that some of the items increased in price by 250%. "So I said that the Eid will be bags of chickpeas, lentils and rice, or powders for washing and washing, or sterilizers because they fit the current situation."
He said he did not bring his children the clothes of Eid, which has become a luxury as people try to provide their food and basic necessities.
Eidia flew
"Eid flew and Eidia", thus Najwa Nur Al-Din shortened the situation, which was giving her children and young sisters about 50 dollars a holiday, which was then worth 75 thousand Lebanese pounds, and now it is equal to 200 thousand pounds. But months ago her salary was reduced by 50% and then transferred to the Lebanese pound.
Najwa earned 1,500 dollars last year, or 2.25 million Lebanese pounds, and today her salary is 1.1 million pounds, equivalent to 280 dollars.
She said to Al-Jazeera Net that "Eid is to be in good health without being infected with corona and society", and she made clear that she will attend the dessert and the Eid trip with her children with the existing capabilities, and stressed that her children are understanding of the new situation, and indicated that she recommended all relatives not to provide Eid for children in order to avoid embarrassment, because Eid is not a duty And those who deserve zakat al-Fitr have become more frequent in these circumstances, she says.
And on the clothes of Eid, Najwa believes that the clothes that are available are "doing the duty", that is, they are sufficient, and she adds that she must think about the coming days and not the show, conclusion of "our situation is better than others, praise be to God", hoping that Eid will bring better conditions for people.
Convert Eid to Lira
Although he acknowledged the effects of the economic situation, Mahmoud Soufan says that he will offer Eidiya to all who used to offer it, from his children to the children of his brothers and sisters and some relatives.
But what will change this year is that Eid is "definitely not in dollars." Soufan used to give $ 20 to children and 50 to adults, and decided not to change this habit, but he converted it to the Lebanese pound on the old exchange rate. (The dollar was equal to 1,500 liras, and it became 4200), and although the amount will be small, it is better than nothing in his opinion.
He used to visit all members of the family carrying chocolate and what was done, but this year he will be satisfied with attending the "bit for you" according to his capabilities.
Eid prayer at home
Neither Mahmoud Soufan nor his wife are considering new clothes for their children this holiday, and the first reason is that he does not want to go with the children to the market for fear of getting sick on the one hand, and because the economic situation does not allow on the other hand to spend money.
He also agreed this year with his family not to meet all of them in one place for lunch, such as every Eid, but rather just fast visits, or greeting over the phone.
On Eid prayer, he says, "God knows best what is in the hearts", and that he will not go this year to pray in the mosque for fear of infection with the virus and transmit it to his family, and he will content himself with praying with his children at home.