Eid – or Labarang as it is better known in Cape Town – is back in all its splendour after two years of rather subdued celebrations due to the COVID lockdown. Gasant Abarder writes in a new #SliceofGA that his household is going all out because the lockdown showed the Abarders never to take Labarang for granted again.
Abarder, who recently launched his book, Hack with a Grenade, is among the country’s most influential media voices. Catch his weekly column here, exclusive to Cape {town} Etc.
Nostalgia: a childhood memory triggered by a square of mom’s delicious steak and egg pie, soutvleis or that familiar call to prayer at mosque to mark the end of Ramadan and the start of Eid-ul-Fitr (or Labarang as it is known in Cape Town).
Cape Town Labarangs are very different to those in Saudi, the UK or even Joburg. For those who’ve never celebrated the day with Muslim family or friends, here is a quick guide to catch you up. In the morning, it is tradition to have breakfast before mosque – a symbol that you’re not fasting on Labarang day after a month of Ramadan. Breakfast includes soutvleis, freshly baked homemade breads or rolls, pie and tea or coffee and juice.
Before mosque you should have paid Fitrah, an amount of money per person of age to ensure that those who can’t afford it are fed on Labarang day. Mosque includes both an English and Arabic lecture before the Eid prayer. The proceedings are punctuated with the beautifully melodious chanting of the Takbir (Allahu Akbar: God is Great).
You then go home to greet the family before heading off to the Muslim burial site to pay respect to the departed.
Lunch is a ridiculously decadent affair with roast leg of lamb, or curry, roast chicken, seafood, breyani and much, much more. After lunch the family will set off to greet one another at their homes and the highlight for the kids is most certainly the cash they receive as gifts – a kind of reward for fasting all month.
After all of this there is dessert. The most mouthwatering cakes, tarts, biscuits and trifles. Yes, of course there’s trifle. It wouldn’t be Labarang without trifle!
Truth be told, for me it’s the fashion. Dressing up in your best threads as recommended by Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). Here in Cape Town we took that recommendation to the next level. Young men and women really look like they’ve walked off the pages of the latest Vogue or GQ magazines. It’s a trip!
Growing up in a household with a mom that was a sample machinist for a major fashion retailer, I knew all about the different types of fabrics, the cut of a garment and what was in fashion. On both sides of the family there were tailors as grandfathers. Although, over the years, there were many misses on the outfit front on Labarang day. But I’d like to think there were quite a few hits too. So, I do tend to go all out on Eid day.
Who can forget going to ‘blom’ at the Waterfront in the evening to meet up with all your friends as a teenager?
But over the last two years, COVID-19 conspired to rip the soul out of Eid day. We sat there in our traditional prayer clothing just eating the day away. There was nothing for it. No family would be visiting and for the kids it was especially disappointing as they would have no Eid day loot. It was rather cruel because I couldn’t remember Eid ever being so bleak in my 43 years. It just didn’t feel like Labarang.
The experience made us realise just how lucky we are to have grown up in a city where such a day can be celebrated with loved ones and friends with making memories as the main priority.
This year the Abarders are going all out for Eid. We’ve bust the budget a bit to get the kids and ourselves what we want and to celebrate the day properly because we’ve missed all the Labarang nostalgia. The food, the clothing, the décor – the whole nine yards!
We are of course blessed and fortunate to be able to celebrate the day properly while constantly remembering those who do not have on this special day. No matter how much or how little you have though, it means nothing if you don’t share the love.
So, get out there, go and say ‘slamat!’ to everyone and just be lekker. It’s Labarang and the Abarders wish you an Eid Mubarak from our household to yours!
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Picture: Pexels