Stop kids from begging in name of Eidiya!

Parents have been warned over their children roaming across streets asking for money during Eid holidays. This “unwanted behaviour” has been creating a nuisance in many parts of the Kingdom during Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha holidays. Groups of unwatched kids could be seen standing near traffic signals at some of the busiest intersections in towns and villages. And once the signal turns red, they jump onto cars that are stopped at the junction and ask for money as a treat for Eid. A scene that is more similar to beggary than anything. According to Arab habits and traditions, the custom of giving children treats, including money, on Eid days, has been inherited from one generation to another. It’s known as Eidiya and such traditions still exist in most Arab countries, including Bahrain and fellow GCC countries. Eidiya is usually given to children during family visits. In some countries, the kids would knock on neighbours’ doors and ask for it, a close concept to trick-and-treating in western cultures.

Commenting on the matter, Muharraq Municipal Council Chairman Mohammed Al Sinan, criticised the growing phenomenon, which he described as “alien customs to the Bahraini society”. “These are not the customs of the people of Bahrain. They are alien to our society and were brought here by other Arab communities living in Bahrain,” Mr Al Sinan affirmed to Tribune.

Tribune also spoke to Northern Municipal Council Chairman Mohammed Buhamood, who warned parents saying, “Your children’s lives matter more than the few dinars they might collect at the intersections. You must have control over your children and protect them. Eid holidays are days of joy. Don’t make it a sad memory for you and your family.”