From Ajman breakfasts to missing home, UAE students share their Eid traditionsLast updated: May 27, 2026 | 09:313 MIN READFor students living and studying in the UAE, Eid Al-Adha this year looks like fancy dinners with friends, and quiet moments of missing family back home.Dubai: For students living and studying in the UAE, Eid Al-Adha this year looks like early morning tutoring sessions, packed social calendars, fancy dinners with friends, and quiet moments of missing family back home. It is busy, it is bittersweet, and it is still, in every way, Eid.The taste of homeFor Samavi Khoso, a BCom Accounting and Finance student from Pakistan, staying at The Myraid, Dubai, one memory defines the occasion above all others. Growing up, her family made vermicelli by hand in their village. "I remember Eid, I used to eat it dry and crunchy and sweet," she says. "It was my favourite snack and the one thing I adored."This year, she is spending Eid in the UAE while her family is back in Pakistan. She misses them, but she and a friend plan to head out to a nice restaurant together. "We eat pasta and pizza," she says with an easy simplicity that says everything about building new rituals when the old ones are out of reach.New clothes, old traditionsFor Fazan Fawas, a Grade 11 Commerce student at Sharjah Indian School Juwaiza, Eid has a very clear shape. "Our family tradition on Eid is wearing new clothes, going for prayer together as a family, grabbing food, calling our relatives in India, meeting family members we haven't seen in a while," he says. "That's what Eid's all about."The family celebrates in the UAE rather than travelling, but stays connected to the ritual of Qurbani by taking a share of the sacrifice with relatives back in India. It is an arrangement they have kept up for the past couple of years, one that keeps the tradition intact across the distance.The highlight of the day, though, is the food. Fazan is already looking forward to his mother's biryani and the kheer and payasam that follow. "It makes the wait for Eid totally worth it," he says.A full schedule and a full heartZoha Khan, a masters student in education at the University of Wollongong Dubai, is not letting a busy timetable get in the way of the celebrations. She tutors children part-time and has scheduled her sessions for early in the morning on Eid, leaving the rest of the day free. "I'll have a bit of time in between to prepare food and presents," she says.Her Eid plans are anchored in togetherness. After Eid prayer, her family gathers for Sheer Korma, a traditional sweet that she says is non-negotiable. "It just doesn't feel like Eid without it." From there, they head to the Ajman Corniche for breakfast by the sea. Later in the break, on the third day, her family plans to distribute food to those in need, something she describes as one of the highlights of the whole period."What I'm most looking forward to is sharing meals with family and friends," she says. "That sense of togetherness and thankfulness is what makes Eid feel so meaningful."For students navigating life far from home, Eid is a reminder that celebration does not require a particular place. It just requires the right people.Also In This PackageI’m a passionate journalist and creative writer graduate specialising in arts, culture, and storytelling. My work aims to engage readers with stories that inspire, inform, and celebrate the richness of human experience. From arts and entertainment to technology, lifestyle, and human interest features, I aim to bring a fresh perspective and thoughtful voice to every story I tell.Related Topics:Get Updates on Topics You ChooseUp Next