As people celebrated Eid Al Adha and attended entertainment events and shows around the nation, drawing sizeable crowds, it evoked memories of the years before the pandemic.
This was evident from the response from some residents who celebrated the holidays enjoying the events at the malls, hotels, cultural village and beaches.
Ameera visited the Mall of Qatar with her husband, Salim, and their three children and took part in children’s activities like the African Circus, Arts & Crafts, and Henna. “Holidays like Eid Al Adha is a great time to make the most of the offerings from the public and private entities. My kids enjoyed a lot at the mall especially with the arts and crafts – a good way to enhance their art and creativity skills while they are still on vacation.”
The second day of Eid, she said, they headed to the beach to ‘connect with the nature’. “My family enjoyed the beach a lot, and a beach getaway on a holiday is extra special because we get to meet more people who are likewise enjoying the short break.”
Waqas together with her partner and friends opted to have a staycation in a hotel in West Bay. “The three-day break is a refresher for us before going back to work tomorrow. Compared two years back, this Eid feels more relaxed although we’re back to wearing face mask due to the recent spike of cases.”
Retail establishments are also providing discounts in keeping with the occasion. Alex and her sister-in-law visited the newly-opened mall Place Vendome on Saturday where she narrated that a huge crowd of people flocked the place. “Special offers are everywhere! It’s hard to resist not to buy. And although it was announced that COVID-19 cases increased in the country, one thing I observed was that people continued to celebrate the holiday while wearing masks, which gave the impression that everything had returned to normal, but with the mask on.”
Zairah, Abdul and Mohammed meanwhile enjoyed the kid-friendly events at the Cultural Village Foundation, Katara offered. Among it are a variety of workshops such as face painting, balloon sculpting, painting on canvas, and ceramic painting.
“It was fun and great! I get to meet other kids which made Eid it a little bit extra special because I have gained new friends,” said Zairah, nine years old.
Yasir and Ahmed meanwhile enjoyed the art workshops Katara had organised. “My favourites are the mascots show, slime and the gift giving. Me and my brother, Ahmed are so happy because we get to celebrate the Eid with other children and people,” said Yasir, 11 years of age.
Marivic and her son, Lee meanwhile did a museum-hopping during the holiday. “The exhibitions are fantastic and it’s all for free! For some, it is required to book a ticket at Qatar Museums website, the rest, you only need to head over to the museum and enjoy the exhibition."
“Pipilotti Rist: Your Brain to Me, My Brain to You exhibition is our favourite so far. The play of light and sound all at once is unimaginable. I’ve seen photos of it before but experiencing it first-hand is mind-blowing, adding that it talks about mental health which is a crucial issue nowadays due to the pandemic which disrupted our lives one way or another,” Marivic explained.
Khalid Asif, an HR professional spent Eid to catch-up with his studies. “It’s a quick break and a good time to finish my school requirements and catch-up with my family. The holiday also provided me the chance to speak with relatives and friends I hadn’t heard from in a long time. Overall, this Eid shows that slowly we are starting to return to pre-COVID normal.”
