Although I have had bigger Eids (when I moved away, grad school, post marriage), Eid with my nuclear family has been my norm & certainly the ones I had growing up. So if you're feeling sad about Eid looking very different for you, here are some tips: (thread)

Dress up! & start your day early with smiles and cheer. Even if it's hard to imagine Eid without Eid salaah, and you need to tell yourself to be cheerful, try and wake up with excitement and wearing your best clothes.

Give enthusiastic Eid hugs to your family, and if you are on your own, plan a special breakfast - maybe a special tea, an indulgent chocolate, whatever it is to mark today as different from other days.

Re-imagine what *seeing family* looks like this year. Some of my favourite memories are skyping with family across the world, calling family (remember calling cards?) & getting excited every time the phone rang. Plan from now -schedule something with at least 1 friend.

Send texts that are not just you forwarding on Eid messages, but reach out to friends and family properly, leave voice notes, think of this year as an opportunity for longer catch ups if time permits. (Hint to others: this is the year to send greetings to your Muslim friends)

Make new traditions for this year- maybe it's board games, for us, we often went to the cinema to see a film, and it felt like a special Eid tradition. I still get excited if I see a movie in the days following Eid. This year, could you plan a movie afternoon with great snacks?

Or maybe it's a picnic in the park with a great book and food. Point is, don't let the day pass as "just another day".

You might not be doing the same baking you would do normally (because you/your pod can only eat so much cake), but still, make teatime, and whatever meals you are eating on Eid an EVENT. Take out the special mugs. It doesn't have to elaborate, but enjoy your best.

I've also had years when I was totally on my own and the family friend who had invited me to something later on was my Eid plans, so if that's you, go on a new city exploration/ walk, try a take out place. And you have friends on their own, make that phone call.

And if you're wondering about how to bring on that feeling of happiness, it can be in the little things. One of my fav parts of the day: coming downstairs and new outfit or not, we would admire and compliment each others appearance. Point is, Eid is great independent of context.