Eid-ul-Adha My family immigrated to Canada in 2020, when I was a student in Grade 7. Since then, we have been living in Saskatoon, a city with a growing Bangladeshi community alongside Muslims from many different cultural backgrounds. Although we are thousands of miles away from Bangladesh, Alhamdulillah, both Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha are still celebrated here with great joy, unity, and enthusiasm. Among the two Eids, Eid-ul-Adha carries a unique emotional connection for me because it reminds me so much of the traditions and memories of home. In our community, Qurbani is usually arranged through local halal grocery stores and meat suppliers. Families typically select their shares beforehand, and the process is completed through organized scheduling. However, last year’s Eid- ul-Adha was unlike any we had experienced before. Through the initiative of my Uncle Rakib and several other community members, a group of families had the opportunity to travel to a Bangladeshi- owned farm outside the city to perform the Qurbani in a much more traditional environment. From the moment we arrived, the atmosphere felt completely different. Instead of simply collecting packaged meat from a store, we were able to witness the entire process firsthand, just as many families do back home in Bangladesh. Alhamdulillah, the experience was deeply meaningful. The owner of the farm personally assisted everyone with the sacrifices, while the cow that our family shared was slaughtered by Uncle Rakib himself. Seeing the preparation, the takbir being recited, and the community working together created an atmosphere that genuinely brought back memories of Eid in Bangladesh. For the first time since moving to Canada, it truly felt as though we had
reconnected with a part of home that we had been missing for years. Unlike in Bangladesh, however, performing Qurbani on Eid day itself is not always possible here. Due to limited facilities and scheduled arrangements, many families are assigned specific times over the two days following Eid. As a result, Eid day in Saskatoon is often spent similarly to Eid-ul-Fitr: attending the Eid prayer in the morning, greeting friends and community members, visiting one another’s homes, and sharing meals together throughout the day. Living abroad has taught me that Eid is not only about celebration, but also about connection, gratitude, and remembrance. Every Eid reminds us of the family members, relatives, and loved ones we left behind in Bangladesh. No matter how joyful the celebrations here may be, there is always a sense of longing for the people and traditions that shaped our childhood memories of Eid. At the same time, experiences like last year’s Qurbani remind me of the strength of community among Muslims living far from home. Even in a foreign country, people come together to preserve their faith, culture, and traditions. Alhamdulillah, despite the distance from our homeland, the spirit of Eid continues to live on within our community here in Canada.