Moroccan Student in France Misses Family Eid Celebration Due to COVID-19 Travel Restrictions

"Every year, we celebrate this religious holiday with my family, with my parents, my two brothers and my sister. But this time, it’s different, we won’t be able to be together. (...) When I really understood and integrated the fact that this year, it wouldn’t happen, I cried, it was an overflow of emotions," says this student. She recounts that she, her brother and her sister who live in Paris, were preparing to return to Morocco but Tangier where their mother lives has been re-confined following the explosion of Covid-19 cases, reports HuffPost.

"We could go see only my father and my brother, in Rabat, without seeing my mother, but that’s not an option for us," she says. "I feel like it’s starting all over again, that it will never end. The hardest part is not knowing when we’ll be able to get together." She says she is struggling with this situation. "It’s very hard to be away from them, because Eid is a celebration of sharing, with friends, family. Without the parents, it’s really different. Especially since my parents are divorced, but this holiday, we celebrate it every year, all six of us, it’s really very symbolic for me," she explains.

The student confesses that this is the first time she will not be able to properly celebrate Eid. She remembers how her family celebrates this religious holiday. "During Eid, we have a lot to eat at home, there is traditional music playing in the house at full volume all day long. Everyone is happy, hugging each other. We dress up, we eat well, then we go for a walk. It’s really something very strong."

The young woman is still trying to stay positive. "(...) I will celebrate Eid anyway, via FaceTime, with my family, even if it won’t be the same as other years. I put things into perspective by telling myself that I can’t do anything about it, that my parents are in good health and that the rest of my family is too. And that’s the most important thing," she concludes.