Reports and investigations
Archive
Sunday 22/March/2026 – 12:04 PM
With the first strings of Eid morning, the villages wake up to an ancient rhythm that has not changed much. The narrow roads are filled with the steps of worshipers returning from the squares, and the doors remain open without permission, while the sounds of congratulations move from one house to another, as if it is a tradition preserved in the memory of the place.
Umm Muhammad, a housewife in her fifties, who lives in one of the delta villages, says that the Eid begins for them at dawn prayer, when the family gathers around a group breakfast with local unleavened bread, cheese, and honey at the top, before open visits begin that do not require appointments or prior calls. She pointed out that the women exchange plates of cakes and biscuits, while the children roam the streets in groups, receiving the Eid from every house they pass.
She continued: Collective lunch tables are still one of the most prominent and enduring rituals in the countryside, where large families gather around one tray and share food, laughter, and memories.
While Haj Abdullah, a sixty-year-old farmer, says that Eid for them is “a family gathering before anything else,” explaining that some families are keen to prepare a large meal that is sufficient for everyone, even those who pass by by chance.
But hundreds of kilometers away, the picture looks different in major cities. For example, in Cairo, Eid begins for many families with congratulatory messages via phone or social networking sites, while visits are often limited to a limited circle of relatives, and at times that are agreed upon in advance.
Noha says that time pressure and crowds have made the idea of open visits difficult, noting that going out to the malls or the cinema has become an essential alternative to spending the day.
She emphasized: The nature of group eating in the city has also changed, as extended tables inside homes are no longer the most prominent scene, but rather have been replaced by restaurants or quick delivery orders, especially with the rise in prices and increasing workloads.
In this context, Dr. Hala Mansour, Professor of Sociology at Benha University, said that many customs have changed not only on Eid, but on various occasions as a result of openness to the media, social media, new lifestyles, and rapid changes, explaining that some of the rituals that people in the countryside or cities are accustomed to have begun to change with time, but Eid remains an important opportunity for family members to meet and exchange congratulations.
She explained, in a special statement to Cairo 24, that the exchange of gifts related to the Eid, such as kahk and biscuits, is still present, noting that the countryside maintains these rituals to a greater degree, especially with the return of many of its children residing in the cities to spend the Eid with their families.
She added that family gatherings and customs associated with the Eid, such as eating lupine and hummus, giving the Eid gift to children, visiting family, and giving the Eid gift to married women, still exist, although to lesser degrees than in the past.
She pointed out that groups not related to rural origins tend to spend Eid in public parks, cinemas, and restaurants in middle-class and popular environments, while families in upscale areas tend to malls or travel to resorts and tourist places that allow family gatherings.
She confirmed that family visits have become shorter in time than they were previously, after they used to extend for days and sometimes turn into quick meetings after Eid prayers.
She continued that the Eid prayer itself has become clearly celebratory in nature, with children being accompanied and gifts and distributions being presented to them around the mosques, which contributes to spreading joy and enhancing the feeling of Eid joy, considering that these aspects represent a positive social and religious aspect that restores the spirit of Eid and gives children happy memories.
