Horizons Online Edition

Issue date: 11/10/06 Section: News

Eid El Fitr-what is the significance of this phrase? It literally means "breaking the fast" and it is celebrated by all who participate in Ramadan. Ramadan begins on the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is a fasting to see how the poor people feel when they are hungry. For a month participants may not eat or drink during daylight. To help put it into perspective, it is somewhat like Thanksgiving, being grateful for what one has to eat. During Eid El Fitr celebrations, the atmosphere is light-hearted and a time for people to relax. It is a joyous occasion to dress up and to bring immediate and extended family together to celebrate.

ERAU Arabic professor Leila Martin and her students put together their version of Eid El Fitr at the Spruance House on Oct. 27. The Spruance House was filled with the presence of approximately thirty faculty members, students, and special guests all gathered together. Before the event started, students arrived more than two hours before to prepare the food, decorations, and music. The president and vice president of the Arabic Cultural Awareness Committee, Zach Caldwell and Eveen Thomas, worked hard on making this event successful.

It did not take very long for the party to get started. Martin gathered as many students as she could and started the Dabke dance which is a very simple traditional dance but difficult to get the hang of at first. With the Arabic Folk music playing in the background, a surprisingly good amount of students came together in the middle of the Spruance House living room and did the Dabke dance while some students even belly danced. GSIS student Brandon Byerley, who was on the side enjoying watching Martin and the students dancing, said, "This is a great event to have because there is not a lot of Arabic influence here in Prescott."

The most important aspect of the night was the food. There was a huge selection of food for everyone, including vegetarians. To mention a few dishes, there was Kafta, Lebanese potato salad, Homos (hummus), lentil soup, and a dessert which consisted of barley with nuts and raisins. Aerospace Studies major Karen Lo said, "It's the best food I've had in months; I would like to see more cultural events like this on campus." What made the food so special was that it was all hand made. Students even had to travel down to Phoenix to find the appropriate ingredients to make all the dishes.

There was huge support from all cultures. The countries that were represented were Haiti, Maldives, Azerbaijan, Switzerland, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, China, and Japan. Martin was very pleased to see all the support from the faculty and students and it was a good way for the campus to see what this event is like in the Arabic culture. Aerospace Engineering Professor Dr. Tom Gally who is familiar with the Arabic culture said, " It is so nice to see a cross cultural event."

The night ended with a special belly dancing performance from Embry-Riddle student Tara Brown. For students that have never seen a belly dancer, it was a real treat. Also, throughout the night a raffle was conducted and the prizes given away were very pleasant. One prize given was a Turkish tea set lined with gold. All in all, the very first Arabian Nights was very successful and if possible most people agree that having more events such as this would be good learning experiences a great entertainment for students.

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