How do I explain why some festival foods are made only once a year? 

Parenting Perspective 

When a child asks, “Why can we not make this all the time?”, they are often expressing a love for the dish, not defiance. This question is a beautiful opportunity to teach them about the wisdom of anticipation and the special joy that comes from cherishing something rare. The best way to answer is by helping them see that some foods are reserved for special occasions because their meaning is too precious for every day. 

Frame Rarity as a Form of Reverence 

Begin by explaining that some dishes are special because they are expressions of gratitude, not just habits of consumption. Their rarity is what keeps them sacred. You can say, ‘We only make this sweet dish on Eid because it is our special way of celebrating the blessings Allah gave us after a whole month of fasting. It is a taste of pure gratitude’. 

Connect the food to the unique emotion of the festival. This helps a child understand that the timing is what makes it meaningful. You can explain, ‘This meal is our family’s way of marking a blessed day. Its flavour is the flavour of our joy and our thanks to Allah for allowing us to celebrate together’. When a food is tied so deeply to faith and a specific moment of thankfulness, its once-a-year appearance begins to feel right and purposeful. 

Cultivate Joyful Anticipation 

The period of waiting for a special meal can be as joyful as the meal itself if you build a sense of happy anticipation. Turn the lead-up to the festival into a time of storytelling and preparation. Talk about the dish in the days before—describe its aroma, recall funny stories about making it in previous years, and discuss which ingredients you need to buy. 

Involve your child in the process in a small but meaningful way. Let them help you stir the milk for the sheer khurma or carefully shape the maamoul. This hands-on participation makes them feel connected to the tradition and turns the waiting into an exciting part of the process. You could even start a small family ritual, like writing a short note each year about what made that year’s festival special and keeping the notes in a jar.  

Spiritual Insight 

In Islam, sacred time is marked by rituals that awaken the heart from heedlessness. Reserving certain foods for our festivals is a beautiful tradition that aligns with this spiritual principle, acting as a sensory reminder of Allah’s special blessings and the unique identity of our faith. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Ibrahim (14), Verse 7: 

‘And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed: If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favour]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe…’ 

This verse reveals a divine law: gratitude is the key that unlocks increase. Keeping certain foods special for our festivals is a powerful, practical form of gratitude. If we were to eat these foods every day, our appreciation might fade into habit. By reserving them for a specific time, we ensure that each time we taste them, our gratitude is consciously renewed. It is a deliberate act of remembrance. Teach your child that by honouring this cycle, we are creating a rhythm of thankfulness in our lives. 

It is recorded in Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 1898, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘Every nation has its festival, and this is our festival.’ 

This hadith affirms that our festivals, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, are a distinct and cherished part of our Muslim identity. They are days that Allah has given specifically to us. Explain to your child that just as every community has unique ways of marking a celebration, Muslims too express their joy through special acts of worship and tradition. The once-a-year foods are symbols of this unique identity.