Citizens and residents asserted that Eid Al-Fitr for this year will be in a new atmosphere, under the slogan "Your Eid in Your Home", due to the precautionary measures imposed by the state to protect the health and safety of the population from the new Corona virus (Covid-19), and that the customs and traditions of the feast will disappear for the first time, as Physical distance and hygienic measures will prevent the performance of the Eid prayer in the chapel, the exchange of family visits, the establishment of banquets, the "Eid" and the wearing of the new Eid clothes, and the exchange of visits and congratulations on the coming of the Eid will transform into a phone call "from a distance."
And they continued that they had stopped buying the holiday supplies in order to disappear aspects of the holiday, and shifting them from public appearances to the distress of concern to family members in the same house.
The citizen Rashid Abdullah Al-Shehhi says, “Eid Al-Fitr for this year will be completely different from the feasts of previous years, because it will witness the disappearance of the collective Eid prayer in the prayer room, and the cancellation of visits and direct peace and congratulations between the worshipers, friends and relatives after the completion of the prayer.”
It indicates that citizens and residents in the popular district of northern Ras Al Khaimah are accustomed to bringing the Eid and Fruits Iftar to the mosque every Eid Al Fitr for public participation in the communal iftar.
It is expected that the custom of exchanging family visits will disappear on the feast, as it disappeared with the start of the blessed month of Ramadan, and that all customs and traditions have been transformed into "remote" habits over the phone, and that cousins, uncle, relatives and friends have become difficult for them to gather on the night of Eid or eat together, Because of the precautionary measures to confront the Corona virus. He pointed out that for the first time in his life in 38 years, he will not buy new clothes or slippers because they are not needed due to the disappearance of the Eid appearances. Citizen Abdullah Saeed believes that Eid Al-Fitr will be different from previous holidays, as it will prevent family visits between relatives and friends and establish banquets and sacrifices, and will change the culture of the community members and their customs and traditions, as the customs and traditions will be limited to a few families residing in one house, and will not expand Habits outside.
He added that he will try as much as possible to establish Eid rituals and apply some customs and traditions among his family at home to preserve them and not to forget them after the end of the "Corona" crisis.
He pointed out that he does not want his children to forget their customs and traditions on religious and national occasions, and that he will maintain the non-exchange of visits during the feast or the holding of banquets.
Salem Al-Shumaili asserts that children are most affected by the abolition of the customs and traditions of the feast, because they will not wear new clothes, will not go out of their homes to play with their peers, and will not get the cash feast from their uncles, uncles and relatives.
The residents, Adel Qaddoura, Wasim Al-Shafi’i and Atef Al-Ayyari, indicated that the passage of Eid Al-Fitr for this year will be like the rest of the week, given the cancellation of the Eid appearances, including the Eid prayer in congregation, the exchange of family visits and not allowing children to enter the games section in the commercial centers.
They explained that the non-spread of the virus and the transmission of infection to the rest of the healthy community members have become more important than the manifestations of celebrating Eid Al-Fitr.
Compulsory coexistence
Professor of Applied Sociology, Professor of Criminology at the University of Sharjah, Dr. Ahmed Falah Al-Amoush, said that «the culture of dealing with the Corona virus from the imposition of physical separation and precautionary measures was reflected in our social relations in the month of Ramadan, and in Eid Al-Fitr, and will be reflected on the future of families in the coming years What will lead to the gradual disappearance of customs and traditions from our social life, due to the obligatory coexistence with the issue of physical separation ».
He explained that the social divergence has become the basis for spontaneous and automatic relationships and behaviors between society, and that with the passage of time, customs and traditions will be affected and disappear and their impact will be less than expected.