How We Celebrated The New Hijri Year

This weekend we decided to gather with some friends and welcome the new Hijri year together with our families. A large part of our intention was to celebrate the joy of this with our children and so our afternoon party was a fun and relaxed affair. We made some straightforward decorations to put up, contributed uncomplicated food and, for entertainment (as if food and friends weren’t enough), we wrote a simple version of the Hijra story to “show” and tell the children with the aid of some basic props.

Focusing on the story of the Hijra itself is a wonderful way to connect the significance of the new year with its actual history, so if you haven’t already, do try to share it with your children sometime this week. It not only marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar years but ultimately, as a journey full of hope and miracles, is both compelling and inspiring. The children at our gathering, ranging in ages from 3 to 8,  sat truly captivated.

And in case you need a quick go-to version, here is the one I wrote. Feel free to adapt or add to it as you feel best suits your family.

Did you manage to do something for our new year? Would love to know what you did and how you made it special!