Every new year, an old feeling returns: a quiet sense of unease, of not quite belonging. With it come familiar voices from my childhood. I hear my parents saying, βWe donβt put up a tree. This is not our tradition.β I remember my mother gently comforting me, explaining that I would receive gifts for Eid, but not for New Yearβs Eve, like most of my peers. As deeply religious Muslims, my parents taught my brothers and me that these customs had nothing to do with us. Any sign of festive lights, Christmas trees or New Year's decorations would trigger an almost instinctive reaction in our home.
My father would always repeat: βWe are Muslims. We have our own traditions. Why would we take over those of other religions? Go and celebrate Christmas at your Christian friendsβ houses, that is fine. Spread the joy with them, but then invite them for Eid. Iβll buy you presents.β
I grew up without Santa Claus, without New Yearβs gift bags and without the photographs that almost all my f
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