We are rapidly entering the season for Eid celebrations. This is a time for Muslims around the globe to come together and celebrate, despite their differences. The Islamic world is vast, and celebrations can differ depending on the region.
In Turkey, for example, both Eid celebrations are referred to as Bayram. This is because they are officially recognized as national religious holidays, alongside Passover and Easter. Turkish practices for Eid look and sound a little different from others.
Meanwhile, Indonesia refers to both celebrations as Lebaran. In both instances, government legislation has resulted in a longer-than-usual observance of the festivals.
Eid refers to two official holidays in Islam based on specific teachings from the Quran. Now that time of year is rolling around again, and it's time for Eid prayers to begin and time to give your closet a fresh update for this year's festivities!
Eid is a time to wear beautiful apparel, including stunning accessories. Adding rings, earrings, and more can elevate any outfit, no matter how beautiful it already is.
Today, we're teaching you the best ways to celebrate Eid with how to dress and what accessories work best.
What Is Eid?
Eid al-Fitre, also known as Eid ul-Fitr, or the festival of breaking, is the first of the two festivals we’re discussing. It marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims everywhere celebrate Eid al-Fitr by breaking their fast.
Many Muslims specify by saying "Month of Ramadan" rather than simply "Ramadan" because it is a name for Allah. This saying takes its influence directly from the teachings of the Prophet Muhammud. Eid al-Fitr also marks the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic Calendar.
How Do Muslims Celebrate Eid?
The end of Ramadan usually features a massive celebration. However, these celebrations are small compared to what you see during Eid Al-Adha.
Eid al-Fitr celebrations follow a month of fasting and come on the first day of Shawwal in the Islamic calendar. Celebrations only last for one day.
In comparison, Eid Al-Adha, also called "Big Eid," is a three-day (or longer) celebration marking Abraham's willingness to offer his son Ismail for sacrifice in difference to Allah. While, in the end, both father and son were allowed to live and rewarded for their faithfulness, we still celebrate.
Eid is the biggest celebration of the year for Muslims, and it's also one of the most spiritually significant times for Islam as a religion. Millions make the journey each year to Saudi Arabia to complete a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to Mecca. This pilgrimage, called hajj, brings roughly 2.2 million people a year to Mecca, though recent years have seen legally-enforced reductions.
Both these holidays rely on the Islamic lunar calendar rather than the Gregorian one. Here, months are determined by the sighting of a new moon. Because of this, every year, the holidays are celebrated 11 days earlier than the year before.
It's never too early to prepare, though. So, before you start wishing everyone an Eid Mubarak, Blessed Eid, or even Happy Eid, read on as we explore Eid fashion.
How To Dress for Eid
This Muslim festival provides an opportunity to embrace your loved ones and look your absolute best. Muslim women and men both have a chance to wear fine traditional-inspired apparel no matter where they live. For diasporic Muslims, it can be a time to come together with your community in euphoria and camaraderie.
Dressing for Eid demands bold, inspired designs and bright colors. With Eid falling in between spring and summer for the foreseeable future, you may want to consider playful pastels with rich accents for your apparel. Our Dusty Mint and Pink Embroidered Peplum Anarkali and matching net dupatta show you can stand out even with softer, spring colors.
The piece features a sheer net exterior with zari, thread, sequin, and stone embellishments for delicately rich gold and rose highlights over the soft mint green. The inner is made from santoon, with an unadorned lycra bottom. The dupatta features a handworked mint hem with matching intricate embellishments.
If you prefer bolder colors to soft, feminine ones, the rich, jewel-toned colors of the Deep Magenta and Gold Embroidered Gharara Suit are for you.
The sleeveless organza shirt glitters with detailed hand-worked flowers and vines trailing down the torso. The rich magenta and gold-colored embroidery features again along the hem of the gharara pants. The hot pink dupatta provides balance to the outfit highlighting the rich tones of the suit while tying into the golden tones with its own detailed hem.
With the suit's boat neckline and sleeveless arms, adding some of your favorite gold-colored jewelry could really bring this look to another level.
Choosing Your Accessories
You have many opportunities to accessorize your Eid apparel with any number of jewelry and layering items. Morning prayers, as well as familial and social visits, make for a busy itinerary. The ideal apparel will be a piece that carries you in style throughout the day.
Jewelry can easily be kept on hand in a bag and changed to fit your various festival plans. You may wish to save your boldest accessory pieces for parties and evening celebrations. Otherwise, scarves and shawls never go amiss.
Below, we've collected a few essential items that merit an appearance in any Eid wardrobe.
Clutch
Handbags are one of the most quintessential practical accessories in the world. They can offer a subtle or bold accent to any outfit and help carry all your essentials. One beautiful type of bag is the clutch. These small bags are eye-catching yet discrete, and they work for both classic and contemporary styles.
Our clutch bags come in two sizes: 4" x 7’’-8" rectangles and 6" by 6" squares. Each bag is highlighted by rounded edges, luscious matte material, and elegant detailed embroidery.
The Golden Cream and Pink Embroidered Clutch Bag features interlaced cream-colored embroidery. Atop it, you’ll see small pink rose blooms create the impression of a rose bush on the bag.
The Light Blue Embroidered Birds Clutch Bag is a bit more straightforward. Here, the embroidery presents a pair of birds sitting on the branches with glimmering white eyes.
Our Red Embroidered Clutch Bag utilizes strong contrasts with a metallic-bronze-colored strap and a bold red body. Two-toned embroidery creates a simple yet detailed floral design with glittering stonework.
A clutch bag is perfect for when you're going out, and your Eid apparel lacks pockets. Rather than rely on someone else to carry all your things, keep your essentials close at hand with these gorgeous, outfit-enhancing bags.
Jewelry
Rings, necklaces, wristlets, watches, earrings, headpieces, and more give bountiful options to improve your Eid apparel. Jewelry offers timeless ways to style your attire. High-quality pieces may even eventually turn into heirloom pieces. One such necklace to provide a burst of color is the Radha Necklace Set.
The focus of this piece is the handcrafted necklace with eye-catching red enamel and dangling semi-precious stones. Gold plating further enhances the sheen of the necklace. Gold may be forbidden for men, but thankfully women are under no such restrictions.
The set comes with matching earrings, complete with matching red enamel and dangling stones for a put-together look.
When wearing any sort of necklace, you should consider the neckline of the dress you are wearing and how you may style any other neckwear, including a dupatta or scarves.
Shawl
One way to add complex layering to your Eid apparel is by adding a shawl. A shawl can be worn in countless ways, including as a head covering when entering houses of worship. Your shawl can either match your dress in color or create a bold contrast for a two-toned look of beauty.
Our Red Heavy Embroidered Velvet Shawl comes from our Heritage Collection to bring traditional elegance to your Eid apparel. The border of the shawl is worked in glistening silver embroidery with finely applied sequins. Velvet provides a heavy drape and allows for a sleek feeling without being overly warm.
The shawl can be adjusted to fit any number of visits you may make during a day. This makes it one of the most versatile accessories you can add to your wardrobe. This red shawl is handworked and checked in India to ensure the highest levels of authenticity and quality in our creations.
Finishing Your Eid Celebrations
Eid Mubarak, the proper Arabic greeting, means "Blessed festival." It is evidence of all the joy, camaraderie, and communal connection this tradition celebrates. This makes either Eid celebration a time to be closer to your culture and those you care about.
This means searching for authenticity in every way you can manage. At Lashkaraa, all of our apparel is made and hand checked in India. This is our way of providing authenticity to Indian women, no matter where they venture in celebration of Eid.
Sources:
Forgotten Ottoman Eid Traditions Make Comeback in Turkey I Al-Monitor
Gold and Pure Silk Are Forbidden for Men: Why? I Islam Online