Hundreds of Afghans in Minnesota Come Together
on Eid al Adha
Published on Tuesday, June 25th, 2024
Written by Hussain Ali Haidari
Afghan Cultural Society (ACS) celebrated Eid al-Adha on the evening of Sunday, June 16, with more than 300 Afghans attending. The program included music, food, and games for adults and children.
Nasreen Sajady, Advocacy Director of the Afghan Cultural Society said “Our Eid celebrations are my favorite. Seeing all the different community members in one space sharing the
diverse cultures of Afghanistan brings us all so much joy. Especially watching the kids
build relationships with each other, strengthening the future of the Afghan community
in Minnesota.”
Afghans living near and far from Minneapolis attended this program. Amanullah Safdari participated in this program with his wife and two children. Safdari came to Minnesota from Afghanistan 6 months ago, and now lives in St. Louis Park. He said this event was the first time that he’s seen such a large group of Afghans in Minnesota. According to him, organizing such programs will reduce the pain and sorrow of being away from the homeland and allow families to get to know each other and communicate with each other. During the past six months, Safdari’s family has not been in contact with any of the other Afghans in Minnesota apart from his brother’s family.
He said these six months have been very difficult for him, because he has been far away from his community and homeland and did not know anyone here. In addition to celebrating important cultural events, ACS programs help families find each other and connect. Afghan Cultural Society has been celebrating Eid al-Adha in Minnesota for three years. Sediqullah Azimi, 28, participated in this program with his wife and two kids at all 3 events. According to him, there are very few cultural programs in this state, but Afghan Cultural Society puts on good programs to celebrate Eid and other important cultural occasions. Azimi added that families gather here for a few hours and have a good time.
This year, ACS took care to arrange various activities and games for children. Many families were happy with the children’s program. Mozhgan, who participated in this program with his two children, said that the suitable entertainment for children offered parents a welcome opportunity to catch up with friends during the celebration. According to him, children’s entertainment is the biggest issue for families. Mozhgan pointed out that celebrating Eid and important cultural occasions makes children more familiar with the culture of their homeland. About three months ago, the Afghan Cultural Center also celebrated Eid al-Fitr, where Hundreds of Afghans also participated. At this time, ACS is one of the few centers that offers diverse cultural programming for Afghans living in Minnesota.