Big day for the little ones
As the new moon appears in the sky, ending the month of Ramadan and ushering in Eid, the children are thrilled. Their excitement is tangible as the festive day unfolds.
The celebration is brought to life and made colourful by the little ones, bursting out in all sorts of activities.
How do the children want to spend the day?
In answer to this, Nameera, 4, said, “I want to wear my new dress.” She lives in Bashundhara of Dhaka. She will be spending the day with her grandparents in Dhaka. Eid means new clothes to her. She didn't elaborate on any other wish for the day, repeating, “New dress, new dress, and new dress!”
Nameera just voiced a chief attraction of Eid for every kid. New clothes make up most of the joy for the day.
As Homaira said, she was so happy that all her shopping was already done. On top of that, her mother had let her choose her own outfit from Aarong. The class five student of Siddheswari School helps her father in his grocery shop. Every year she spends the holidays with her “cousins in Uttara."
Wahi Adyan Islam, 5, from Khilgaon remained silent on the issue. The grumpy boy said, “I won’t go anywhere.” He was sulky, because his mother would have to go to office on Eid. Wahi's mum said he she would keep him in his grandparents’ house. The boy cheered up a bit at the thought of wearing matching panjabis with his cousins on the special occasion.
Unlike Wahi, Afnan, 7, of Mirpur has a lot of plans ahead of the day as he will be going to his grandpa's house in Pangsha, Rajbari for Eid. He is excited about his new crocodile and dinosaur shirts and especially the one "with the dolphin waving a flipper.” He will spend the time playing with his cousin, Turjo, and visit relations. “I’ll listen to stories from grandpa. He hunted birds when he was young," the boy was really enthusiastic.
Afnan's little sister Arisha, 5, just reiterated her brother’s wishes and added, “I want to decorate my hands with henna. I'll go to new places if mum takes me.” Her mother, a private college teacher in Mirpur, said both her children loved red very much. So she bought red outfits for them.
Shakibul Hassan, 8, has some plans too. When most of the people were going out of Dhaka for the festival, Shakib's destination is opposite. He will go to his uncle's house in Dhaka from his house in Palashbari, Nabinagar of Savar. He is very fond of his young uncle and loves to make plans together on such occasions.
Padya Parivash, a three and a half year old kid from Bashundhara residential area declined to talk. “She wants to go to her Ammupakhi’s (aunt) house in Sheorapara,” said her mother, Naznin Akhter. She would wear a white dress bought by her aunt. Padya loves it there because of her cousins, Naznin said.
Eid is very different for Tanjila, 9 and her plans are quite different, “O Allah! I can’t go anywhere, I will stay here. I earn the most at this time.” The girl sits with her weighing machine in Hatirjheel and passersby pay her to take their weight. That makes her business which steps up on holidays. Romela, another working girl beside her echoed, “Yes. We stay till eleven at night.”
Answering what she wished to do on Eid, Tanjila stared with inquisitive eyes and a reluctant smile, saying, "I wish I could visit a lot of places." She may not have new clothes for Eid, but she has dreams.