Vaccines bring back joy to Eid celebrations
Updated: 2:31 p.m.
As Muslims in Minnesota and around the world celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the end of the holy month of Ramadan, COVID-19 vaccinations helped make it a much more celebratory holiday this year.
Last year, Ramadan came during the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. People weren't able to pray together in mosques or break their fast with friends and family.
This year, the easing of some restrictions means families can pray and gather with friends and relatives, although large gatherings are still on hold. Some local mosques organized vaccination events before the start of Ramadan to make sure people could receive shots.
At the St. Cloud Community OutPost, members of the St. Cloud police department and the Professional Somali Women's Group of Central Minnesota handed out candy and beverages to families returning home from morning prayers. Kids played games and danced in the grass as music played.
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“It’s different,” said Mohamed Hajir of St. Cloud, who stopped by with his family. "Because there was COVID-19, people could not come together. Since we get the vaccine — most of us — so we can celebrate.”
Hani Jacobson, a nurse and community health specialist with CentraCare Health, helped organize the event. She works out of the outpost a couple of days a week.
“It's just so fun to just see all the smiling faces that we didn't get to have last year,” she said.
Jacobson said the group has been doing the Eid candy distribution for about five years, but this year they asked the community for donations, and the response was overwhelming.
Another member of the women’s group, Fadumo Hassan, said they started the event to try to make Eid a little more fun for the younger generation.
“A lot of these kids don't know when you live in a Muslim-majority country, the holiday season is very different,” Hassan said. “It’s a way of bringing a little bit of joy to Eid and something for them to look forward to.”