E-congratulations on Eid Al-Fitr

As soon as the Ministry of Awqaf announced that the first day of Eid Al-Fitr 2023 is on Friday[April 21], people started to congratulate each other via social media (WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook….etc].

“This way of congratulation has spread in my country , Syria,  over the past years since most of Syrian families’ members are living abroad and the cost of travelling among Syrian governorates has become high,” Manar Elwan, a dentist, told Syria Times.

She added: “Electronic congratulations are an easy and popular way nowadays for busy people to contact each other on several occasions, including Eid Al-Fitr. They save time and money required to visit relatives and friends in other areas. I myself use this way because my relatives live in Aleppo and Lattakia and I live in Damascus with my husband.”

Dr. Elwan believes that the messages of congratulations have no emotions when they are copied and pasted from google , but private ones make her happy.

However, Majd Rajab has another point of view .  “I prefer to say congratulations to my relatives and friends face-to-face and to exchange visits with them.. I never use e-congratulations via WhatsApp on the occasions of Eid Al-Fitr or Eid Al-Adha. I like to try Maamoul Al-Eid, which my aunt yearly makes at her house on these occasions.”

Em Yaser, a 66-year-old grandmother, said that she feels happy when her sons and daughters and their families come to congratulate her at her house. “I receive and send congratulations and best wishes to my family’s members and friends via WhatsApp, but I see that this way has no emotions . I prefer to shake hands with them and to share hand-made sweats, especially Maamoul.

“ I make Maamoul at my house to share it with those who visit me on the occasions of Eid Al-Fitr. It is one of the beautiful traditions that I am keen on keeping and passing it onto next generations,” she added.

Abo Omar, a 40-year-old father, told us:” E-congratulations are useful during the current circumstances. I have to pay at least 20.000 Syrian pounds , if I have to visit my relatives in other areas.

He only visits his parents and his wife’s parents on Eid Al-Fitr, and he congratulates others via social media.

Saying congratulations via social media or face-to-face depends on the circumstances of each person and it  is important to keep connection among people. Eid Fitr Mubarak from Syria.

Interviewed by: Basma Qaddour