More than 120 students, faculty and staff at Community College of Denver came together to celebrate the Islamic holiday, Eid-al-Fitr, on June 19th, 2018. Eid-al-Fitr is a day of feast and celebration to mark the end of fasting for Muslims during the month of Ramadan.

To celebrate, volunteers transformed the Confluence Building assembly rooms with large floor pillows, sparkling lights, games and other traditional decorations. Some of the attendees, both men and women, were dressed in traditional clothing for the occasion and many women decorated their hands with elaborate henna designs.

Attendees played basketball, soccer, foosball, Jenga, checkers and chess, which were scattered throughout the room. These different games and other activities provided a passport to delicious traditional food, which included beef samosa, biryani rice with lamb as well as sweet offerings such as Turkish delight, Mackintosh’s Quality Street, Zalatimo Mamoul, and baklava.

CCD student Ruhullah Ismaili reflected on her experience with Ramadan, “It is a way to get closer to our God, Allah. We also do this to know how the less fortunate feel and to understand how they suffer. It is also a great way to detoxify your body.”

CCD students who attended the event wished the celebration could last longer. Santiago Archuleta commented that the best part of the day was meeting new people and learning about a different culture. Lori Medina enjoyed the food and games, while Caleb Dewey liked the dancing and decorations.

This event was a great opportunity to celebrate another culture and experience something out of the norm.