Every festival is important but first-time celebrations hold a certain charm. And actor Gauahar Khan, who tied the knot with actor Zaid Darbar in December, is excited about this Eid ul-Adha. “Last year was the first time Zaid met my mum on Eid, and this will be my first after our wedding, so it is special. Right now, I am shooting in Delhi and will fly to Mumbai for a day for the celebrations. I wouldn’t miss it for anything,” she exclaims.

“The story of Bakra Eid is that Allah wanted to test Prophet Ibrahim and asked him to sacrifice his most precious belonging,” shares Khan, adding, “So, when he decided to sacrifice his son, Allah loved the gesture so much that he turned the sacrifice into a lamb and spared the son. So, that’s the qurbani of a goat. You give three-fourth of it to an orphanage, so the people in need get food and a feast.”

Missing her father, who passed away in March, Khan recalls how he would take her to select the goats. “He taught us how to take care of them, treat them right and with respect, even in death. My memories of spending time with him are precious, including getting the Eidi. It will be my first Eid without him, so there are mixed emotions. I can never replace my dad and his loss will always remain with me,” she says.

Darbar and Khan recently returned from a trip to Russia, where they spent quality time together. “It was a honeymoon trip as we couldn’t go anywhere after our wedding. Though we visited a few cities in India, it was mostly work-related. [Russia] was a lot of fun and there were so many things to do. With everything that we have been through in this year, it was perfect,” says the Tandav actor.

However, she realises travelling amid the pandemic is “a luxury”. “All of us will have to come to terms with the situation today and start having a life again. The way to do that is to be responsible, not just towards yourself but everyone. Be careful about things you do and take all safety measures possible,” she signs off.

Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; August 1, 2020)

Back in May, during Ramadan Eid, we were all in complete Coronavirus lockdown mode. Actress Zareen Khan says that while Eid (Bakra-Eid) today will also be celebrated at home with family, she is happy that they can add a little more to the celebration in this unlock phase. “I am happy that we are in unlock mode at this time. I know that large gatherings are not allowed, so, I am expecting just a few close ones to come over,” says Zareen, who stays with her sister, mother and maternal grandfather in Mumbai. Recalling some special memories of the festival, she shares, “Every Eid, we visit my mom’s sister, who also stays in Mumbai. She is a fantastic cook and so, the routine is, eat, sleep and repeat (laughs!).”

However, this time around, the actress has decided to give this tradition a miss. “This year, we are spending time at home, as my mom is a little unwell. But, she is going to cook dum biryani and our all-time favourite, sheer khurma. I am looking forward to it.”

Zareen further says that she misses her childhood days, when her cousins and would compete to collect Eidi. “As an adult, you are expected to give Eidi to the younger ones. As kids, we would be happy even if someone gave us Rs. 50 or Rs. 100. But, it’s hard to please kids today, they won’t accept Rs. 100 as Eidi (laughs!),” she shares.

On the work front, Zareen, who will be seen in a Hindi film and a Punjabi movie, is hoping for things to get back to normal. “Over the past few months, work has come to a standstill. I don’t know if and when my projects will start, as everyone has suffered a financial setback. I have to support my family financially, and I have been fortunate enough to get my payments on time. I did chase the team of one particular project to get my dues cleared, but luckily, I managed to get my money,” she says.

Riya Sharma (BOMBAY TIMES; August 1, 2020)

For Aamna Sharif, Eid has always been about sharing and spreading love. The actress, who is currently seen in Kasautii Zindagii Kay, shares that the way she celebrates the festival has not changed over the years. However, this year, the celebrations might be different because of the Coronavirus pandemic.

“It is not going to be like how we have always celebrated Eid. It is going to be different because we are not going to meet everyone as we have to follow social distancing. But what we should try and do is retain the essence of the festival as much as possible,” the actress tells us.

Talking about her early memories of Eid, Aamna, like any other child, would look forward to receiving Eidi from her elders. “As a child, all of us would look forward to waking up early in the morning and getting dressed. My mom would make sevai, sheer korma and biryani, and all those things I have learnt from her. The most exciting part as a child was to take blessings from the elders, going to our relatives’ houses and getting Eidi from everyone. For me, the festival has that feel of all the family members getting together and just having a good time,” she shares.

For Aamna, the festival is about sharing and caring, something she has kept with her since her childhood. Aamna says, “One thing that I love about this festival is how important it is to share, care and spread love. When we were kids, we would wake up in the morning and cook not just for ourselves, but for others as well. I still remember and still follow the same things we used to do as kids. The first thing we do is send the sevai and sheer khurrma to the neighbours, and then of course to friends and relatives. It is beautiful to show your love and care by sharing these things.”

As Aamna sends her Eid wishes to her fans, she urges everyone to be kind. “There is anyway so much negativity in the world right now, so be positive, be kind and spread as much love as possible,” she says.

Riya Sharma (BOMBAY TIMES; May 24, 2020)

She has always been a Shah Rukh Khan fan, and when we ask Sana Khaan about her fondest Eid memories from childhood, the actress takes no time in sharing an SRK anecdote with us. “I remember we’d wake up in the morning, get dressed and visit all our relatives, even if we didn’t like them. My best friend Nazia and I would first go to my relatives’ homes and then visit her relatives for Eidi. I’m a huge SRK fan, so after collecting money, we’d catch a train to Bandra, take a rickshaw and stand outside Mannat (SRK’s house). I still remember that one time, I asked his watchman, ‘Shah Rukh hai kya?’ The watchman had autographed photos of SRK, so I remember telling my friend (an Aamir Khan fan) to also get an autographed photo and give it to me,” Sana laughs as she recounts the story.

The actress says that celebrations this year will be without visitors. “It is definitely going to be different as I’ll have no visitors. I’m going to be home, since in my society we aren’t allowed to go outside. I’ll call up some friends and family, as I’m definitely going to miss them on Eid. Every year during Ramzan, people go out and meet friends, but I am not that kind of a person. Not just this year, but I avoid going for iftar parties and get-togethers since it breaks my routine of praying,” she says. Sana adds that she hasn’t shopped for Eid. “I got two outfits before the Coronavirus lockdown for something and luckily, I have one that I didn’t wear,” she says.

While people have plans for Eid at home this year, Sana has post-Eid plans. She says, “Since our helpers are not coming, I am the one doing jhadu-pocha. I am no good in the kitchen. My mom can’t do much of it because of her health issues, but this house work is crazy. Abhi toh upar upar se kar rahi hoon, but after Eid, I’m going to do proper cleaning with some soap, disinfectant, lemon and lavender.”

Divya Kaushik (BOMBAY TIMES; May 24, 2020)

No shopping, no visitors at home and virtual dawats — this Eid, celebrations will be a lot different from previous years, but Gauahar Khan is as excited to welcome the festival as she is each year. She says that Eid is the festival of sharing and spreading love and happiness, something which is much needed when people across the world are battling the Coronavirus pandemic. “Ramzan is the time for ibadat and we should keep this in mind as we celebrate Eid. I’ve been doing what I can to bring a change in people’s lives, and I see others are also coming together to help those in need. This Eid, there will be many people who’ll be celebrating without their friends and families, and I want to tell them that this, too, shall pass,” says Gauahar.

She adds that while celebrating, people must keep social distancing norms in mind and should not try to break lockdown rules. “We should understand that things are not back to normal. We should not come out to celebrate and break rules. Our safety, and even others’, is our responsibility, so we should stay indoors and celebrate responsibly,” she adds. Gauahar will be celebrating Eid with her mother, who is staying with her in Mumbai, while rest of her family is not in India at the moment. She says that her family has planned a Zoom session for Eid.

“Every Eid, my friends come over for lunch and dinner and we indulge in a lavish fare. Since there will be no visitors this time, we will just be cooking sheer khurma and biryani. I cook biryani every Eid, but my mom is here this time, and she cooks the best biryani, so I’ll let her make it, while I will cook sheer khurma,” she says, adding, “I also decorate my house on Eid, but since this time celebrations are low-key, I won’t do that. This time, I have decided to not buy any new clothes. I haven’t even ordered anything online as I know that there will be something new lying in my wardrobe. This Eid is not about lavish celebrations, it is about being thankful for what we have.”