Eid is a time of celebration with loved ones. Have a Garden Eid Party this year to enjoy the colors and joy of Eid in the outdoors. Sharing a complete guide to throw a fun and successful Garden Eid Party. Plus there is a lovely Eid giveaway for you all at the end, so keep reading!

choosing a venue and time

• Your own backyard is a great option if you have one. You can plan this party at a public park also (One of the advantages of doing a party in the outdoors is that all the mess stays out of your own house!).
• Choose a time of the day when it will be easier for people to be in the outdoors. So if it’s super hot, have the party in the evening. If weather is pleasant mornings or afternoons work great!
• Also make sure the venue has enough shade from the sun at the time you’re planning the event.e.g. My backyard faces east, so we get lots of morning sun and shade in the evenings.
• You can plan your Eid Garden Party either on the day of Eid or a weekend later. Since the day of Eid is decided by lunar sightings, having the party on a weekend with a set date will take out some unpredictability from your planning.

Guest List/Invites

• Send out invites either by text or email. You can make a Facebook event also. It helps to have a collaborative space where guests can see other guests and one announcement can be sent out for everyone.

menu

• Your menu will depend on the time you choose for the event: brunch, lunch, high tea or dinner. Remember you will be serving the food in the outdoors. So keep the menu a good mix of items that need to be heated before serving like Haleem, Samosay etc and those that can served cold like fruit chaat, papri chaat etc.
• The Eid Garden Party can also be a potluck. Culturally most people do not like to come “empty handed” on an occasion like Eid, so having a potluck will actually help them and they will feel like they are participating. (It will also save you from ending up with seven odd cakes you have no idea what to do with and more bouquets than you have vases for by the end of the day – because people ‘will’ bring something!).
• If you’re having a potluck, make sure you ask people to share what they are bringing or make a list of items that people can pick from.  This will ensure there is a good balanced spread.
• Chafing dishes are great to keep items hot throughout the party.
• Have a few kid friendly items on the menu if you’re expecting kids to attend.

seating

• While you can bring out all the chairs you have in the house, I can assure you they won’t be enough. Put down some blankets, rugs and lots of cushions so that people can sit on the ground.

decorations

• Try to use existing items that you have in the house. Bring out the traditional vases, picture frames, rugs and cushions. They will add a traditional touch to your garden.
• Create a welcome Eid Mubarak sign by either using a blackboard. Or print Eid Mubarak in beautiful calligraphy and put in a frame.
• Add flowers placed in vases all around. You can use either fresh or artificial ones.
• Get your existing furniture ready for the “Garden Theme” by “dressing” them up. I added an orange sheet and cushions to my childrens’ swing and stringed flowers around my dining chairs.
• You don’t need Eid specific decorations. Pick colorful balloons, napkins and paper plates. You can get Balloons for the letters “E”, “I” and “D” to spell out “EID”. Keep it simple.
• Use lots of string lights to give a festive look if your party is in the evening.

entertainment

• Make sure you have a fun play list ready for some background music (keep the volume down and be considerate of neighbors).
• Have mehndi/henna cones ready for the girls to decorate their hands.
• Keep a crafts table for the kids with supplies so that they are entertained.
• Usually you don’t need to plan games for an Eid Party because people are in a festive mood already, however you can keep a few games as a backup if you feel there is a need. Some fun options can be: dancing statues, chinese whispers or dumb charades.

Hostess tips

• Keep covers for all your dishes so that food stays fresh and safe from bugs.
• Keep a box under the table with supplies such as: wipes, cleaner, scissors, cling film, zip locks, pen, paper, aluminum foil etc. These will come in handy during the party.
• Burn some coils to keep mosquitoes and bugs away. Keep bug repellent handy for children and adults.
• Have hand sanitizer ready and accessible.
• Keep up a backup plan in mind, incase it rains or the weather is not suitable to be outside.

drinks

• Drinks are extremely important for an outdoor Garden Eid Party. Serve water, lemonade and fresh juice especially for hot days.
• The most important drink for any South Asian party is Tea! Set up a tea station with hot water, lots of tea options and sugar/milk for those who wish to add it. Everyone has their own favorite way of enjoying tea so make sure there is lots of choice available.

Disclaimer: This blog post is sponsored by Tea India. All opinions are my own.

eid Giveaway from Tea India

I love the strong and flavorful taste of the Chais offered by Tea India and am so excited to offer a giveaway where you can win a Gift Basket containing Tea India Masala Chai, Cardamom Chai, Ginger Chai, and a set of coasters made from used Tea India tea bags by a group of South African women from a local township. Here’s what you can do to win this Gift Basket. Each of these actions will give you an entry for a random draw:

• Comment on this blog post below by mentioning your favorite snacks to go with Chai
• Follow urdumom on instagram at @urdumom
• Follow urdumom on twitter: @urdumom
• Comment on urdumom’s instagram post about this competition

Competition closes June 30, 2017. This competition is open to residents of North America excluding Quebec. I will announce the winner on July 1, 2017 on www.facebook.com/urdumom and also add their name here!

Eid Mubarik!

Update: We have a winner! Aisha Khurram from Calgary has won this contest. Thanks everyone for participating.

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+ Style Guide to be Eid Ready

+ Pro Tips for Amazing Eid Photographs

+ Eid Memories and Traditons