As part of the growing effort to celebrate and observe multicultural events at Colorado State University-Pueblo, the Diversity Resource Center organized an Eid party at their lounge on Oct. 16.
Eid-ul-Adha is a religious holiday celebrated by Muslims around the globe. It honors the willingness of the prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his young first-born son Ismail (Ishmael) as an act of submission to Allah’s command, and the son’s acceptance to be sacrificed.
Eid-ul-Adha falls on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar, and is observed for three days.
This year Eid-ul-Adha took place Oct.15-17, and the DRC organized an Eid party on the second day starting at 6 p.m.
To make sure the observance of this Eid was done in accordance with Islamic customs, the food ordered was cooked with “Halal” chicken only, which is slaughtered in a specific way in accordance with the Islamic customs. Also, flower decorations were arranged according to the typical Eid party requirements.
No pork or alcohol was served, because in the religion of Islam, both of these items are prohibited. The Muslim students also wore their traditional outfits.
“I was totally shocked to see how well DRC staff arranged this event for us and made us feel so comfortable like home on this big day, when we are so far away from our family and friends back home,” said Ryad Mahmood, a CSU-Pueblo student from Saudi Arabia.
Students and faculty from other religious backgrounds also attended the event, which was not intended to serve only Muslim students. The non-Muslim attendees were invited in an effort to promote mutual understanding between cultures on campus.
“It’s amazing when people can share their beliefs and culture with respect and love, and CSU-Pueblo fills these spaces as we could see at the DRC’s Eid party. Our Muslim population shared their Eid-ul-Adha with all of us, and I would like to wish them ‘Eid Mubarak,’” said Renata Gomez, a CSU-Pueblo student from Columbia.
The event was catered by Mr. Tandoori, an Indian grill in downtown Pueblo, and more than 20 guests were served.
The items served in the dinner included chicken biryani chicken curry and naan, along with kheer, which is Indian rice pudding, for the dessert.
“I must say that out of all the on campus events I have attended till date at CSU-Pueblo, this one served the best food possible. I have never tasted such good Indian food in U.S. before, and it truly made this Eid so much special for everybody who attended the party,” said Chaitanya Reddy, a CSU-Pueblo student from India.
