Anyone consider themselves a Cultural Muslim?
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Anonymous
| If so, how do you celebrate Eid? |
Anonymous
| You are asking a question that is a non-sequitur. |
Anonymous
| I think a few of my husbands family and friends would consider themselves. My husband is a staunch atheist but grew up muslim. Most of his friends and family members are "loosely" muslim, as in drink, eat pork, attend mosque for special occasions - but even that is pushing it. I don't know if they believe in a god or if they are just doing it to appease family. |
Anonymous
| Yes. I am. I make badaam milk and samosas for breakfast and breyani for dinner. When kids were little, they fasted (not the whole day) and got money for doing so. Fahrista brought it to them on Eid morning. Sometimes she also left gifts (depending on how organized I was!). |
Anonymous
| My step-MIL is French/Algerian and is Muslim but non-practicing, very western (though doesn't eat pork or much meat in general). She does sometimes observe fasting depending on where they are (they live pt in France and pt in US) and how she's feeling. More likely to observe if with large extended family in south of France. Usually a small break fast meal like soup then a big meal late. Big breakfast. |
Anonymous
I didn't answer the other question - they don't celebrate eid. They also don't fast, so iftar/eid isn't really a big deal. |
Anonymous
No they're not. I'm a former Christian who celebrates Christmas by putting up decorations and making cookies. On Good Friday, I go to the Cathedral for the choral music. I often go there for evensong too. It's so beautiful. |
Anonymous
What did they figure out that Fahrista was really you? |
Anonymous
WHEN.... |
Anonymous
Well, other than doing a short eid prayer, most things about eid are cultural not religious. Eid is mainly about taking fragrant baths, wearing festive clothes, eating delicious food, giving charity, exchanging gifts and visiting family and friends. Every community does it with some variations of their own. Social affluence plays a role as well. What's tough is fasting and praying for 30 days of ramadan. That takes some discipline. Even that is very much community dependent. If you've more community around to enjoy it with, more involved you get or feel more peer pressure. For many, its about dinner parties to break fast and sneaking out to go to cafes near mosques while elders do their post fast prayers. |
Anonymous
| Arguing about whom to follow for moon sighting is a big part of the evening before eid. Once that's settled than arguing about which eid prayer to attend, one at 7 AM in a central mosque an hour away or later at small local mosque. At least one person in every family realizes that morning about lost ir delayed parcel of their custom ethnic clothing order. |
Anonymous
|
A cultural Muslim is not likely going to the mosque for prayer unless compelled by family.
For non-religious, cultural Muslims, see 02:04 post. Give charity, wear something new/fresh, feast/visit with family and friends, is about it. |
Anonymous
| I have family members that are not devout, they don’t pray or fast but they do go for Eid prayers, dress up and visit family. It’s a little awkward when they come for iftar but have not been fasting but we all just look the other way. |
Anonymous
Glad to hear that are Cultural muslims. I, a cultural Christian, have tended to think of all Muslims as being alike. |
Anonymous
Trust us, it is awkward for us non-fasters to go to an Iftar, too, as we haven’t ’earned it’. I’ll add that some non-devout also dabble in fasting for cultural solidarity, health benefits, and/or spiritual reasons. |