GAZA, (PIC)
Every time Eid al Fitr arrives in the Gaza Strip, two contrasting images awaken in the memory of the residents, one old filled with life and joy, and another recent burdened with absence and losses.
Between these two images, the story of Eid in Gaza is formed, as a mirror reflecting the transformations of both place and people.
Eid of yesterday, when details created joy
Hajj Ahmed Abu Mahadi, 68 years old, speaks with clear nostalgia, “We used to wait for Eid from the first night, we would hear the takbeerat, and go out at dawn for prayer, and after that visits would begin from house to house. There was not much, but the joy was great.”
He adds to the PIC correspondent, “Children used to be happy with any small amount, the eidiya (money gift) was not of great value, but it meant everything.”
Hajja Maryam Shlayel, 63 years old, recalls the details of the homes, “We used to bake kaak (Eid cookies) days before Eid, and the neighbors would gather together, Eid was a collective spirit, not just an occasion.”
Eid today, incomplete rituals and a harsh reality
In contrast, Samer Thabet, 45 years old, describes the reality of Eid now, saying, “Today we try to create an Eid atmosphere, but everything is different, there is no ability to buy, and no spirit like before.”
He continues, “Even visits have decreased, people are busy securing the basic necessities of life.”
Umm Luay Basla, 39 years old, says, “My children ask me about Eid clothes and the eidiya, and sometimes I cannot find an answer, we try to compensate them with simple things, but the difference is clear.”
Children, a memory not yet complete
The child Sami, 10 years old, says, “My father told me how Eid used to be in the past, and that they used to play and buy toys, I wish to live such a day.”
The child Reem, 7 years old, says, “I want Eid to have sweets and games, money is not important.”
These remarks reflect a gap between a generation that lived Eid with all its details, and another that knows it only through stories.
Nostalgia, a shared space between generations
The young man Khaled, 27 years old, says, “We are stuck between two generations, we remember the beautiful Eid, and we live a completely different Eid. Nostalgia has become part of Eid itself.”
He adds, “Even when we try to feel joy, there is an incomplete feeling, as if something big is missing.”
A resisting memory and possible joy
Despite all this, Umm Ahmed, 50 years old, confirms that Eid has not completely disappeared, “It is true many things have changed, but we try to preserve the simplest details, even if it is just a piece of sweet, what matters is that the children feel joy.”
In Gaza, Eid today is not measured by what it used to be, but by what can still be saved from it. Between a crowded memory and a harsh reality, people continue to search for a meaning of joy, even if it is simple.