Essay by Sahtinay Abaza: Celebrating Eid Traditions

I never imagined I would be a children’s book author. But when I became a mother of two little girls, I admired how fun and whimsical the holidays were here in the United States. The stories of Santa and his elves make you want to be a kid all over again! Unfortunately, I couldn’t find an engaging tale to read to my kids about any of the Muslim holidays we celebrate. This motivated me to write my first book. 

“Looking for the Eid Moon” draws upon an old Muslim tradition: the sighting of the crescent moon. Because Muslims follow the lunar calendar, they rely on the moon's shape to mark important holidays and dates. One night, the crescent moon signals the arrival of Eid al-Fitr (a holiday that celebrates the end of fast) and one night, it signals a ten-day countdown to Eid al-Adha (a holiday that celebrates the end of pilgrimage). 

To make the holidays special, my family adopted this tradition. And every Eid, we would take our girls on a little quest to find the moon. But the crescent moon is hard to spot, that is why there are moon sighting committees that look for it. And so, just like Sara, the protagonist of this story, I started placing our very own glow-in-the-dark “moon rocks” around the house and backyard for our girls to find. Each rock is filled with coins because, during Eid, children are gifted money so they can get a toy they really want. We found our “moon-rock hunts” to be a fun alternative for children who are too young to understand the value of money notes and bills and a great way to keep their spirits high when they fail to spot the moon.

Regardless of our backgrounds and faiths, as parents, we all hope our children will have a happy and memorable childhood they can look back on for many years to come. We strive to raise strong and confident individuals who can withstand the challenges that life throws their way. That is why it is important for all children to see themselves in fun, light-hearted stories filled with hope. Stories in which a protagonist who looks like them is the hero of an exciting adventure, not a victim struggling to fit in. 
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In “Looking for the Eid Moon,” the moon is not only a religious symbol. It is also a reminder that even in our darkest moments, we must be brave and search for that glimmer of hope. And how much like the moon, we must be a source of light for others, too. 

Sahtinay Abaza grew up in the United Arab Emirates before making Florida her permanent home. As a mother of two, she admired how fun and whimsical the holidays are in the United States. This motivated her to write her first picture book about the holiday her family celebrates, Eid. Inspired by her own family tradition, Looking for the Eid Moon is meant to transform the uncertainty of when Eid will fall into a quest to find the moon, in both a fun and endearing way. This story won the 2019 SCBWI Emerging Voices Award and inspired Sahtinay to write more children’s books. ​