Crowds flocked to Barnsbury last Friday to celebrate the ward’s second Eid in the Park.
The Barnard Park event was held to commemorate the first day of the most significant holiday in the Muslim calendar.
Despite cold weather, the dozens of locals present were in high spirits with adults hugging and wishing each other ‘Eid mubarak’ while children played on the bouncy castle or chased bubbles.
Ahmad Uddin, a lifelong Barnsbury resident and organiser of Eid in the Park, said that although the Muslim community in the area is small, people travel miles to enjoy the feast.
“This is our second year, so hopefully we’ll get bigger and bigger,” he said. “Eid for Muslims is like Christmas – the most important day of the year. We wanted to bring the festival out from the home and the mosque and into the community where anyone can enjoy it, regardless of faith.”
Eid in the Park began with traditional prayers, followed by children’s rides and trampolining, an halal barbeque, an exhibition on the basics of Islam, clothing stalls, Islamic incense stalls and homemade cakes and sweets.
Amira, 18, said: “Eid happens every year and we celebrate every year. There are other celebrations like this in London today as well, like in East Dulwich, West End and King’s Cross. There’s loads happening all over London today. It’s about getting together and celebrating the event with family and friends.”
Kaltha, 16, said: “Eid is basically about the prophet Abraham who God told to sacrifice his son for him, but because of the mercy of God he was told he could sacrifice a sheep instead, so that’s what we’re celebrating. It’s almost exactly the same as the story in the Bible.”
The event does not receive any council or government sponsorship and is funded entirely by the local Muslim community.
