Despite concernsEid is an occasion of happiness [Archives:2005/891/Front Page]
Yasser Mohammed Al-Mayyasi
SANA'A- 0ct.1- Eid is an important occasion for all Muslims; it is the religious occasion legislated by Allah for a variety of reasons, among which is getting rid of malice and envy among community members. Eid days are usually hard to forget, particularly on the part of children because mental images of the occasion remain in their memories. And among the elderly as well, as one can see the unforgettable meetings and the exchange of visits between relatives and friends, all dressed up in neat clothes carrying lovely smiles in their faces.
One can argue that the happiness of Eid used has shrunk more recently, as it has become confined to certain individuals and social classes who have good income. The economic conditions and the numerous requirements of living, as well as people being engaged in the search for subsistence makes them dislike this occasion due to the financial burden and constrains on limited budgets, as Eid is a demanding occasion with requirements should be met.
As the Eid day draws nearer, markets all over the Republic of Yemen become very crowded as people rush to buy what they need for Eid. The markets become flooded with imitated products and prices become prohibitive due to the absence of monitoring. Every trader free to conduct business as desired, for sellers the Eid is an occasion that should be exploited for making good profits.
Irrespective of the economic and financial concerns, there are several traditions and habits practiced during the days of Eid, however, they differ from one city to another. Yemen Times have toured markets and different locations to record the viewpoints of random individuals to comprehend what does Eid mean to them:
Ali Saif, a laborer, believes that Eid is an occasion of happiness, but in the old days, the happiness of Eid used to be better than now; today the economic conditions have become more difficult and the lack of the sources of income makes the days of Eid similar to the ordinary days. He confirmed that months of working before this religious occasion can not provided for the needs and requirements of Eid, and working during months preceding Eid can only cover the personal expenses. He asserted that his journey of struggle with life for subsistence started one year ago when he dropped out of school due to living conditions. “This case is applicable to many of my Yemeni friends whom I usually meet,” he said. “The skyrocketing prices do not allow any person of lower income to bring about good condition for this occasion.”
Rashid Abdullah, a guard working in Sana'a, confirmed that he prefers to stay in work for several reasons, among them the lack of money for traveling to his countryside, and his commitment to guarding the building. He indicated the expenses of traveling can be utilized for buying clothes for his children. He prefers to buy clothes for his children and send them to his village to make his children happy. His salary is minimum wage and could not cover all his daily expenses but the need compelled him to stay in this work in the shadow of job scarcity. The problem of limited income laborers, he added, is enormous, particularly on the occasions of Eid and they feel sad for being unable to provide what is required for Eid. “The rich are no more concerned with sufferings of the poor”, he said.
Abduljabbar, a university graduate working in the private sector, emphasized that Eid is a wonderful occasion, but with the existence of difficult conditions, it is not. He told he got a job in the private sector after huge effort ad he failed to get a job opportunity in the government. His salary, he added, can not cover his personal expenses, and when he remembers the pledges which have to be fulfilled, his agony is coupled with Eid: “the Eid liabilities changes happiness into misery”, He believes the difficult living conditions and the rarity of job opportunities is the enemy of happiness, and the expenses of Eid increase, so the Yemeni human feels obliged to cope with life and attempts to invent happiness which is short-lived.
Abduljabbar confirmed that the happiness of Eid is never available except on the part of children who do not bear in mind the concerns of adults and the problems of living.
Tawfiq al-Humaidi, a government employee, ascertained that the current conditions compels one to work for more than one party to provide for a good living, and the salary given to him by the government does suffice for the needs of living. He said during the last period of time, he worked for a private sector company, in addition to his government job, and after great efforts he could meet the Eid's needs.
According to him, the Eid is a wonderful occasion that requires big expenditure and the market experience prohibitive prices due to the absence of monitoring by the concerned authorities. “Traders behave as they like in the absence of monitoring, and in the markets one can not differentiate between original and fraudulent products,” he added. “The markets are flooded with smuggled commodities, particularly garments which people need on such occasions.” He mentioned that life and its requirements necessitate great efforts to be exerted.
Through this investigation, it is made clear that Eid is an occasion of happiness requiring many things to be done, and these days, this happiness has become specific to people of good income. The economic conditions, the increase of living requirements and peoples being engaged in search of subsistence have their impacts on such an occasion. However, the majority of people hate such an occasion for its requirements, for them, Eid has become nothing but an ordinary day.
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