Eid Joy Through Selfies
Alongside festive attire, smartphones and the internet have now become inseparable companions of Eid. Together, they bridge rural and urban lives, allowing the joy of Eid to be shared instantly across social media. After the Eid prayers, worshippers embrace one another while simultaneously capturing the moment in selfies. Eidgah grounds transform into seas of happiness, filled with hugs, laughter, and the click of cameras—each smile, each conversation, each photo weaving a collective memory in digital Bangladesh.
No elaborate arrangements are needed. A phone pulled from the pocket, a glance at the screen, and with the light touch of a finger, countless moments with loved ones are preserved. When storage runs out, memories are saved to cloud drives; some curate them into albums online. From morning prayers to afternoon gatherings, smartphones now chronicle the entire day.
The era of hiring DSLR photographers is fading. Just as crisp new banknotes remain a symbol of Eid, Eidi itself has shifted toward mobile wallets. Gifts arrive digitally, through short messages rather than by hand. To feel them tangibly, one must cash out. Similarly, with a few techniques, today’s smartphones can produce images rivaling professional cameras. On Saturday, March 21, after the holy Eid-ul-Fitr prayers, almost every Eidgah and mosque witnessed worshippers exchanging greetings, embracing, and sharing joy through selfies.
The Eidgah grounds became living festivals. Parents, siblings, friends—all gathered together, smiling, rejoicing, and capturing moments with loved ones. Children played in laps, elders engaged in heartfelt conversations, and families posed eagerly for photos. These scenes appeared live or as fragments of memory across social media.
“Eid means unity and joy,” many worshippers said. “After prayers, everyone exchanges greetings, laughs, and takes photos—that is the true beauty of our festival.” Eid selfies, they added, magnify the joy many times over.
Yet behind the smiles and selfies lie hidden sorrows. Expatriates, often burdened with longing, upload photos to social media in search of Eid joy. One expatriate shared images from the Gungahlin Mosque in Canberra, Australia, noting that while Eid is celebrated abroad, hearts remain with family at home. “We take selfies during Eid to share the joy with our parents and loved ones back in Bangladesh. That too has become part of Eid celebrations. So, along with embraces, we take a selfie.
