Eid With Kids: Sunnahs, Traditions and Making It Magical

Ask any Muslim adult what they remember about childhood Eid, and you will hear about smells and sounds, not rulings. New clothes laid out the night before. Takbir in the car. A grandmother pressing money into a small hand. The feeling that this day is ours.

That feeling is worth building on purpose. This guide covers the sunnahs of Eid, traditions from Muslim families around the world, and how to make the day feel big, especially if you live where Eid is an ordinary working day for everyone else.

Why Eid joy matters

Islam gives Muslims two days of celebration a year, and the Prophet ﷺ made clear that joy on those days is part of the religion, not a distraction from it.

When Abu Bakr (RA) objected to two young girls singing in the Prophet’s ﷺ house on Eid, the Prophet ﷺ said:

Evidence · Hadith

يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ إِنَّ لِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ عِيدًا، وَهَذَا عِيدُنَا

“O Abu Bakr! There is an Eid for every nation, and this is our Eid.” Narrated by ʿAishah (RA).

When he arrived in Madinah and found people with two days of games, he told them:

Evidence · Hadith

“Allah has substituted for them something better than them: the day of sacrifice and the day of the breaking of the fast.” Narrated by Anas ibn Malik (RA).

So Eid is not just permitted fun. It is the Muslim way of celebrating, given to us in place of other festivals. Children who love Eid are learning to love being Muslim.

Eid morning sunnahs

These are simple enough for even small children to join in. Turn them into a morning routine your children can recite.

1. A bath and best clothes. Many families start Eid with ghusl (a full bath) and the best clothes they own, new or not. Scholars cite reports from the Companions for both, and it is widely practised across the Muslim world.
2. Dates before the prayer (Eid al-Fitr). The Prophet ﷺ did not go out on the morning of Eid al-Fitr until he had eaten some dates, and he ate an odd number. Let children count out three or five dates each.

Evidence · Hadith

“Allah’s Messenger ﷺ never proceeded for the prayer on the Day of Eid al-Fitr unless he had eaten some dates… and he used to eat an odd number of dates.” Narrated by Anas ibn Malik (RA).

3. Takbir on the way. Say the takbir (“Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar…”) together in the car, on the bus or as you walk.
4. Everyone goes to the prayer. The Eid prayer was a gathering for the whole community, girls and young women included.

Evidence · Hadith

“We used to be ordered to come out on the Day of Eid and even bring out the virgin girls from their houses and menstruating women, so that they might stand behind the men and say takbir along with them and invoke Allah along with them…” Narrated by Umm ʿAtiyyah (RA).

If the whole community was invited, your toddler is welcome too. Bring a small bag with a snack and a quiet toy.

5. A different way home. The Prophet ﷺ went to the Eid prayer one way and came back another.

Evidence · Hadith

“On the Day of Eid the Prophet ﷺ used to return (after the Eid prayer) through a way different from that by which he went.” Narrated by Jabir ibn ʿAbdullah (RA).

Children love this one. Make it an adventure: “Which way shall we go home today?” Some families use the new route to pass a relative’s house or a park.

Traditions to start

The sunnahs are shared by every Muslim. The traditions around them come from many cultures. They are not rulings; they are ways families have found to make the day special. Pick a few that suit you, and repeat them every year.

From around the Muslim world

• Eidi. In South Asian and Arab families, elders give children money or gifts, often in envelopes. Children go from aunt to uncle with bright eyes.
• Duit raya. In Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, children receive small amounts of money in colourful packets during Hari Raya, and families visit one another’s open houses.
• Bayram visits. In Turkish families, children visit elders and kiss their hands, then touch the hand to their forehead as a sign of respect, and receive sweets or pocket money in return.
• Visiting and feasting. In Somali and West African communities, Eid often means big shared meals, new outfits, and visiting relatives and neighbours throughout the day.
• Convert families. If you are building traditions from scratch, you have freedom. One family might start a pancake breakfast, a nature walk and a film night. In ten years, that will be “our Eid”.

Simple ideas for any home

• Decorate the night before. Lights, a banner, balloons, paper lanterns. Let children wake up to a changed house.
• An Eid breakfast. The same special dish every year: shir khurma, kahk, pancakes, whatever your family loves.
• Gifts with thought. Small and personal beats big and expensive. Some families give one gift from the parents and one “from Allah’s blessings” chosen by the child for a sibling.
• An Eid walk or outing. A park, a farm, a soft-play centre booked with Muslim friends.
• An Eid photo in the same spot each year. Children love seeing themselves grow.
• Eid cards made by hand for grandparents, teachers and neighbours.

In a Muslim-minority country

In London, Toronto, Melbourne or Minneapolis, Eid can arrive on a Tuesday when the rest of the world is going to work. That takes a little extra planning.

Take the day off. If you can, keep children home and take leave yourself. A child who goes to school on Eid learns that Eid is less important than an ordinary day. In England, absence for religious observance is at the headteacher’s discretion. Many districts in the US, Canada and Australia already recognise Eid as a religious holiday. Either way, ask early.

Because Eid depends on the moon, you may not know the exact day until the night before. Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin around 8 February, which puts Eid al-Fitr around 9 or 10 March 2027, but moon sighting can shift it by a day. Mention both possible days in your note.

Dear [Teacher’s name],

Our family will be celebrating Eid al-Fitr, one of the two main Muslim festivals, at the end of Ramadan. The date depends on the sighting of the new moon, so it will be either [day/date] or [day/date]. We would like to ask for [child’s name] to be absent on Eid day for religious observance. We will confirm the day as soon as it is announced.

Thank you for your understanding. [Child’s name] would love to share something about Eid with the class afterwards, if that would be welcome.

With best wishes, [Your name]

Bring Eid to school. Offer to send in sweets or dates for the class, a picture book about Eid, or a short talk. Children feel proud, not different, when their classmates are curious.

Make your community bigger. Join the Eid prayer at the nearest masjid, Islamic centre or park gathering, even if it means a long drive. Arrange an Eid party with other Muslim families on the weekend after, so children experience Eid with a crowd.

See raising Muslim kids in the West for more on building community, and Christmas at school for how a big Eid helps in December too.

Giving on Eid

Eid al-Fitr comes with its own charity, Zakat al-Fitr: a small amount of food (or its value, in many communities) given for every member of the family, young or old, before the Eid prayer.

Evidence · Hadith

“Allah’s Messenger ﷺ enjoined the payment of one saʿ of dates or one saʿ of barley as Zakat al-Fitr on every Muslim, slave or free, male or female, young or old, and he ordered that it be paid before the people went out to offer the Eid prayer.” Narrated by Ibn ʿUmar (RA).

Evidence · Hadith

“…as a purification of the fasting person from empty and obscene talk, and as food for the poor.” Narrated by Ibn ʿAbbas (RA).

How to explain it to children:

• Ages 3–6: “Before Eid, we make sure hungry families have food for Eid too. You are part of our family, so some food is given for you.”
• Ages 7–9: Let them help count the family members and hand over the amount at the masjid, or click “donate” with you.
• Ages 10+: Talk about why it comes before the prayer: so everyone can celebrate, not just those who can afford to.

Whether Zakat al-Fitr is given as food or as money, and how much, is something madhhabs differ on. Your local masjid will usually announce an amount each year. Ask a scholar you trust if you are unsure.

Eid al-Adha

The second Eid comes about seventy days later, at the end of Hajj. Eid al-Adha 2027 is expected around mid-May. It shares the same morning sunnahs, with a few differences: many families eat after the prayer rather than before, and many sacrifice an animal (qurbani or udhiyah) and share the meat with family, friends and people in need.

For sensitive children, keep the focus on what Allah asks of us:

Evidence · Qur’an

لَن يَنَالَ ٱللَّهَ لُحُومُهَا وَلَا دِمَآؤُهَا وَلَٰكِن يَنَالُهُ ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ مِنكُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ سَخَّرَهَا لَكُمْ لِتُكَبِّرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمْ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ

“Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you…”

“The animal is a way of thanking Allah and feeding people. Allah doesn’t need the meat. He wants our hearts to be good.” For the full story of Ibrahim, Hajar and Ismail, and ideas for the ten days before, see our Dhul Hijjah guide.

The best Eid is not the most expensive one. It is the one your children will try to recreate for their own children one day.