Daily Times

When I made it to the US a few decades ago, I was unpleasantly surprised that people in the US were actually workaholics. I have always been fascinated by the holiday season that comes right at the end of every year. Thanks to Hollywood, it was always full of snow, cheers, bells, joyous people and, yes, plenty of gifts. Perhaps it was a twist of fate that I ended up in this part of the US where we do not experience the white powdery stuff towards the end of the year. On the contrary, we make people envious all around the US due to bright and sunny days even in December. Speaking of holidays, yes there is a lot of excitement in the air, thanks to slick marketing and advertising that starts in September and focuses strictly on your wallet.

However, the country as a whole only shuts down on December 25 for Christmas and then on January 1 for New Year’s Day. Good old Hollywood makes us feel as though the entire country is at a standstill in between. In reality it is not so. The business of life is ongoing and yes, people do take their vacations mostly around that time but the country never goes on vacation. Government and private institutions, shopping centres, all keep running as usual. I remember one of my professors in graduate school voicing his discontent towards this US lifestyle of too much work and very little rest. Of course, everything has a positive and a negative angle to it.

When I hear that folks back home have almost a week off for Eid, I just smile. When I hear that even the government is in the same mood and business of holidaymaking, I cannot help but wonder ‘why’? The most that a government should be celebrating are the two days of Eid after which things should go back to normal. After all, it is an institution responsible for running the business of the people.

This lax attitude prompts one to think that, after all, the government is run by people as well and, as human beings, those people are entitled to rest and relaxation. In this particular case, there is a way to alternate personnel as Eid comes twice a year. Some folks can take extra time off on one and some on the other. However, the wheels of government should be in motion at all times. You may ask why this is necessary. Well, the government is the centre of gravity. It sends the appropriate signals to the people. When a government is in a mode of rest and relaxation, it cannot expect the people to follow the golden words of their founder Mr Jinnah. If I remember correctly, PTV used to flash one of his sayings at one time: “Work, work and only work.” I believe he must have tried to set the bar for the nascent country at that particular point in time. However, most of us are busy trying to make a mockery of his expectations.

Even in the brotherly Islamic countries of Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf states, the country comes to a screeching halt for the two days of Eid and that is about it. Honestly, here in the US, since Eid is not a national holiday, it is just one day off for Muslims. If it falls on a weekday, most people take a personal day off. I remember working on a few Eid days as well, of course after the obligatory Eid prayers that typically commence very early in the morning. At times, I appreciate the simplicity and the reality of this place. It makes you extremely humble and thankful for the little blessings that come your way.

If Eid is on a weekday, most community members wait for the following weekend to organise a get together or a picnic. This enables us to get together and meet one another to exchange Eid greetings. To some folks, it may seem odd as Eid is quite stale but the overarching realities of life tend to supersede. We cherish that stale Eid as it is the day of Eid. Come to think of it, it is about being happy in a way that is appropriate and at the same time being cognizant of how precious that little moment of joy is.

Needless to say, the pomp and flash that the idiot box shows back home is quite appalling too. Eid tends to become the reason and rationale for cash, new clothes, new shoes, new everything. Thanks to the clever marketeers and advertisers who prey on the wallet as usual, most folks tend to forget the real essence of Eid. It is not the new clothes, shoes, gifts and cash in your hand that truly make you happy. It is your connection with your Creator, your connection with the people around you and, above all, the connection with your inner self that make you happy and joyous. A very happy Eid Mubarik to all of you and stay blessed.

The writer is a Pakistani-American mortgage banker. He blogs at http://dasghar.blogspot.com and can be reached at dasghar@aol.com. He tweets at http://twitter.com/dasghar