Chand Raat Special

Happy Belated Meaty Eid Everyone!

As always, I am a little late to post but you can imagine the work and hassle on Bakra Eid and I'm sure you all were quite busy with the preparations and festivities that come along with this important religious holiday too. As much as I love dressing up and the feeling of celebrating this Holy festival, it comes with immense load of effort and work behind the scenes.

Of course, I am exaggerating a little bit since I didn't actually do any of the work myself. It is always ama abas who end up taking on all of the preparations and responsibilities for Bakra Eid. As for me, I enjoyed celebrating the holiday by going out with my behnas to join in on the Chand Raat festivities.

Talking about Eid, there was no way I was going to miss celebrating Chand Raat. I have always felt like I enjoy Chand Raat even more than the actual day of Eid itself. The excitement of knowing Eid is coming the next day, deciding what to wear, thinking about what dishes to cook, going shopping for gifts or new clothes, and then eating out with friends and family all in one night is what I look most forward to. I love the festive atmosphere and feeling of anticipation in the air as everyone gets ready to welcome the new month after sighting the moon. For me, staying up late with my loved ones, exchanging gifts and sweets at Chaand Raat, and making memories together make Chand Raat truly special.

_{We were almost the first ones there :D}

_{People had just started coming in to celebrate}

This past Chand Raat was nothing out of the ordinary, but it definitely felt extra special to me. As it was my first Eid after getting married, I was thrilled to celebrate the occasion with my family. Making it even more memorable was having my sister visit from another country - we don't get to see each other nearly as often as we'd like since she lives so far away. Having her here with us siblings for Chand Raat after such a long period of separation really made it feel like a reunion. She is here for a relatively short time and try to make most of our time as much as possible. So, for Chand Raat we decided to go out for some basic Eid shopping like chooriyan and jewelry and of course, some good old street food along with it.

For our food, we decided to kick things off by ordering some extra hot dumplings to share as an appetizer. Those little pieces of deliciousness really hit the spot! Next, we couldn't resist trying the very crispy gol gappay that were being served - those thirst-quenching bites did not disappoint either. As we continued our food-tasting adventure, churros were next on our list which we followed up with some loaded fries and Singaporean rice. While I thoroughly enjoyed everything, if I'm being honest, I think I could have happily just eaten the dumplings all day long. It really made for the perfect pre-Eid treat to start off our sibling bonding night out.

_{The Best Dumplings EVER}

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_{Crispy Gol Gappas}

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_{Singaporean Rice}

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Finally ending our Chand rat with some shopping from stalls they had set up alongside the food street for people to enjoy. They had put several stalls at the food street for all the people to enjoy. There were games which I do not want to talk about because I lost a good thousand rupees there - let's just say my competitive spirit got the better of me! But other than that, minor financial setback, the rest of our shopping and exploring was a breeze. My sister found some lovely chooriyan and bangles to take back home as Eid gifts.

_{Stalls set up}

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In past years, most of my Chand Raat celebrations were spent out late into the night with my friends. We would go all over the city, indulging in food and fun without a care in the world about the time. But getting married and growing older has really made me miss connecting with my siblings more. Family bonds become so much more meaningful as life gets busier. This Chand Raat such a wonderful reminder of that. I realized how much I've come to prioritize family over anything else these days. I wouldn't have missed the chance to spend quality time with them for the world. From privileging nights out with friends in recent years to appreciating precious moments with loved ones now, I think I grew up. Growing up inevitably means your priorities shift, and I'm grateful to have these experiences to cherish with my sister and reflect on how far we've come together.

Yours Truly,
@kinzaghauri