“Eid celebrates the end of Ramadan, the month-long time of fasting, prayer and charitable giving, and is a very social, fun occasion. The night before Eid, we all go out to the shops in Manchester, which are open late, and take the kids along. Everyone is rushing around buying clothes, food and sweets from their favourite sweet shop. We all get lovely new clothes — even the baby! My two older girls love this part of Eid because they can choose a colourful new outfit and new bangles, and I let them choose the sweets too.

“When we finally get home from the shops, my youngest sister and I decorate our hands and the children’s hands with henna. This year I let Sana have a go at it and she was a real natural. We make sure all of our clothes are ready. My husband wears the traditional shalwar kameez (long, loose top and baggy trousers) while the girls wear a colourful lengha (long skirt) or garaara (tunic-like top with a wide skirt or wide-legged trousers).

“On the morning of Eid we all wake very early and eat delicious, traditional sweet vermicelli (fine noodles) cooked in milk with nuts and cardamom, all of us saying "Eid Mubarak (blessed festival)!” and hugging and kissing. The girls love it and always ask for second helpings, but they have to keep some room for all the lovely things we’ll be eating later!

“Then we wash and get our clothes ready. My husband goes to the mosque while I, my sister and the children stay at home to pray. We have lots of friends living nearby who we then visit and we pay our respects to. Afterwards we go home, our family comes over and the children get their gifts at last. When I was small we used to get Eidi, which is a traditional gift of money, but now the girls get presents. This year they got the dolls they had wished for.

“My husband’s family and my second youngest sister then come round for Eid lunch, which is a huge feast. Everyone is always very happy and excited to be eating lovely food again! We also invite others from the mosque, who might not have family here and may be feeling lonely.

“We eat spicy rice with meat, chicken curry, lamb kebabs, rasmalai (sweet milky dishes), mithai (sweets), kheer (sweet rice dessert) and Eid cakes. All the kids run around and eat too many sweets. We also have a tradition in our family that the kids have to make up a performance for us. This year they wrote a hilarious play and then performed it. The baby had a small part but started crying so my daughters asked if she could be taken off-stage. We all laughed so much!”

Find out more

• Visit the BBC website to find out more about Eid ul-Fitr
  
  
• Discover how mum Marcia and her children celebrate the festival of Kwanzaa