How our family’s Eid al-Adha unfolded — from Fajr to the last plate of qurbani gosht delivered down the gali

4:30 AM Fajr & the First Scent of Eid

I woke up before the alarm even had the chance to ring — there is something about Eid mornings that pulls you out of sleep on its own. The lane outside was already alive with the distant call to Fajr echoing across Allama Iqbal Town. I quickly freshened up, offered my prayer, and stepped into the kitchen to help Ammi with the morning chai. The whole house smelled of ittar and anticipation.

7:00 AM Getting Ready — New Clothes, Old Rituals

After a light breakfast of sheer khurma that Ammi had prepared the night before, it was time to get dressed. There is something so special about wearing new clothes on Eid. My dupatta was pressed and waiting on the chair since last night. Abba and my brother left early for Eid namaz while we wrapped up at home, exchanged Eid hugs, and took the obligatory family photos in front of the main door.

9:30 AM Our Share in the Qurbani at Bank Colony Masjid

Our family has been part of a cow hissa at the masjid in Bank Colony for several years now. It is a beautiful tradition — seven families come together, each contributing their share in the name of Allah. By mid-morning, the masjid courtyard was bustling with families checking in, the butchers at work, and the smell of fresh meat in the summer air. We knew our hissa would be ready by early afternoon, so we stayed home and let the morning flow.

12:00 PM Ammi’s Secret Weapon — A Cook from Dostyy

With Lahore’s summer heat being absolutely merciless this year, Ammi made a very smart decision this Eid. She hired a female home cook through Dostyy — an online job portal that connects verified domestic workers with families in Lahore and across Pakistan. Dostyy makes it easy for households to find trusted cooks, maids, and helpers, while giving domestic workers a proper, dignified way to find seasonal and permanent work. With Eid falling in peak summer, Ammi wanted professional hands in the kitchen, and Dostyy delivered. Baji Rukhsana arrived in the morning, full of energy, and took charge of the karahi, daigi rice, and raita without a single complaint about the heat. Honestly, it was a game changer.

1:00 PM The Hissa Arrives — in Very Large Pieces!

My brother went to collect our hissa from Bank Colony Masjid and came back with the meat in large, uncut portions — not the neatly divided pieces we usually expect. Apparently, when the qurbani is done at the masjid collectively, the distribution happens by weight in bigger chunks rather than the cleaned, small cuts we are used to from the butcher. So there it was — a beautiful, generous portion of fresh beef, piled high in the daig. Bhai immediately rolled up his sleeves.

1:30 PM Bhai Takes the Knife — Cutting the Meat

My brother is surprisingly good at this. Every Eid, he becomes the family’s unofficial butcher. He set up a proper cutting station in the courtyard with newspaper spread on the floor, his large bonti knife ready, and a bucket of water nearby. The large pieces were broken down methodically — some for cooking today, some for freezing, and a generous portion set aside for sadqa and distribution. Ammi supervised from the doorway, calling out adjustments: “thoda aur chota karo” — a little smaller, please!

3:00 PM Distribution Through the Gali — Our Favourite Part

Once the meat was cut and sorted, it was my turn. I packed the sadqa portions into clean bags — one-third for family, one-third for friends and neighbours, and one-third for those in need. I walked down our gali in Allama Iqbal Town, knocking on familiar doors: the elderly Apa two houses down who lives alone, the young family who just moved in across the lane, the aunties who always share their biryani with us at weddings, and a few more households our family has maintained ties with for years. Every door I knocked on opened with a warm “Eid Mubarak” and a smile. That exchange — that brief moment of shared joy — is honestly the heart of this day.

5:30 PM The Feast — Baji Rukhsana’s Magic

By the time I returned home, the kitchen was a dream. Baji Rukhsana had prepared a rich beef karahi with whole spices, steamed basmati rice, a thick daal, and a fresh kachumber salad. The whole family sat together for the first proper Eid meal of the day. The karahi was absolutely perfect — deeply spiced, tender meat, the kind of flavour that you only get when someone really knows what they are doing over a hot stove. We ate too much. There are no regrets.

8:00 PM Evening — Chai, Relatives & Quiet Gratitude

The evening brought relatives over for chai and mithai. The children ran between houses, high on Eidi and sweets. The men sat outside in the cooling night air while we women caught up on everything we had missed since the last family gathering. By the time the last cup of chai was poured, I found myself just sitting quietly for a moment — grateful. Grateful for family, for food, for faith, and for the little rituals that make this day unlike any other. Eid Mubarak to everyone reading this 🌙