Capital residents gear up for Eid festivities

Shoppers fill markets and malls, finalising purchases of clothes, shoes and accessories

ISLAMABAD:

With less than a week in the religious festival of Eidul Azha, citizens are gearing up to finalise their preparations from shopping for clothes and accessories to buying the perfect sacrificial animal for performing the ritual of sacrifice.

Several buyers can be witnessed in the main markets and shopping malls of the capital who are purchasing dresses, shoes and other essential accessories to celebrate the upcoming festival in a befitting manner.

The majority of the people are to complete their shopping on time so that they can leave for their hometowns on Friday after attending their last working day to celebrate the festival on Monday (June 17).

Some are also planning to spend maximum days in their hometown by taking leave after the Eid holidays so that they can enjoy more time with their closest ones. The children are also excited to spend time with the sacrificial animals which they liked the most in this Eid.

Samia Imran, a mother of three children said, “I have completed shopping for my family before the time as we have to leave for our hometown on Friday to celebrate the festival with our relatives.” She said, “It is difficult to do excessive shopping during the prevailing price hike situation in the country and we have to buy a sacrificial animal too so we are focusing on buying the most essential items.”

The hustle and bustle of the livestock sellers, butchers, and local retailers during the Eidul Azha is indicative of the holiday’s importance from both a cultural and economic standpoint.

Kamran Ali, a young boy said, “On this Eid, the biggest excitement for all of us is buying a sacrificial animal and decorating it before the ritual of sacrifice. Usually, all our friends exchange pictures of our animals to make this occasion memorable. We all also go for a walk with our sacrificial animal, decorate them with beautiful ornaments and henna and feed these,” he said.

Local butchers are also expecting a significant boom in their business as many families prefer to have the services of professional butchers to sacrifice their animals. “Sometimes we have to hire extra hands to manage the demand as more and more people contact us for this task,” Saeed Khan, a local butcher said.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 11^th, 2024.