Monday July 11, 2022
Weekend festival at the Mosque of Mercy was their 1st since COVID-19
Iman Khan, left, concentrates on her henna design at the Mosque of Mercy's Eid al-Adha festival and bazaar on July 9, 2022. (Salma Mahgoub/CBC)
Ottawans have been gathering to celebrate Eid al-Adha in person this year — a welcome change after two years of COVID-19 restrictions.
On Saturday, the Assunnah Muslims Association in Ottawa hosted its annual Eid al-Adha bazaar and festival.
Eid-al-Adha is known as the "Feast of Sacrifice," and the Islamic holiday is often marked by communal prayers, large social gatherings and giving to those in need.Saturday's event at the Mosque of Mercy had vendors and food stalls, as well as a bouncy castle outside. It was their first in-person Eid-al-Adha celebration since the pandemic broke out.
Amer Al-Nabelseya and Dina Mohamed, who run a catering business from home, were there making knafeh, a traditional Middle Eastern desert.
Al-Nabelseya said their secret ingredient in the sweet pastries is love.
"Whenever you [make] food with good intention and a clear heart and with love, it will reflect [in the] taste," he said.
Scroll down for a few scenes from Saturday's celebration. Eid al-Adha kicked off this weekend and runs until Tuesday.
Ten-year-old Zaynab Ghanim, right, and her younger sister wait in line to get on the bouncy castle outside the Mosque of Mercy. The Ottawa mosque held its first in-person Eid al-Adha festival Saturday since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Salma Mahgoub/CBC)
Jolmes Pastora and his five-year-old son Noah pose for a photo at Saturday's festival. They were visiting Ottawa from Toronto to celebrate with their family. (Salma Mahgoub/CBC)
Families browse vendors' tables at the Mosque of Mercy's Eid al-Adha bazaar. (Salma Mahgoub/CBC)
Dina Mohamed, left, and her husband Amer Al-Nabelseya, right, serve knafeh, a traditional Middle Eastern dessert. (Salma Mahgoub/CBC)
Homemade Somali sambusas are for sale the Mosque of Mercy's Eid al-Adha bazaar. (Salma Mahgoub/CBC)
Families congregate outside the Mosque of Mercy during Saturday's festival. Eid al-Adha began over the weekend and runs until Tuesday. (Salma Mahgoub/CBC)
With files from Salma Mahgoub