Ivan Adnan was overcome with emotion as he stood under a vast blue sky in Liverpool, in Sydney’s southwest, on Monday morning.
His eyes filled with tears not only because it was Eid al-Fitr – the most significant festival in the Islamic calendar – or because he was reciting verses from the Quran along with hundreds of other people from Sydney’s Muslim community.
It was because after two years of COVID-19 restrictions, Mr Adnan was finally able to perform the ritual of kola-koli.
"As part of the festival, right after Eid namaz (prayers), men give each other three hugs, which in Bengali, in my language, we call it kola-koli. And women do the same with each other," Mr Adnan told SBS News.
"Last year and the year before, we couldn’t go anywhere. We couldn’t even go to prayer," he said.
So when Mr Adnan found himself finally being able to celebrate Eid the way it’s meant to be, he felt "tears forming in my eyes".
"I felt so connected to God. And I felt so connected to my community. And I was overcome with emotion," he said.
Ivan Adnan, with aunt Sharmin (left) and cousin Farin (right), is celebrating Eid with food and parties.
Mr Adnan is not alone.
Hundreds of thousands of people from Australia’s Muslim community are celebrating Eid with gusto across the country.
The three-day holiday is the culmination of the month-long Ramadan period, marked by feasting, prayer and quality time spent with family and friends.
As part of the festivities, Sydneysider Jahan Asif and his wife Annie are looking forward to meeting more than 50 cousins and friends over the three days of Eid.
Jahan Asif and wife Annie are catching up with dozens of friends and family members over the two-day Eid festival.
While the couple celebrated Eid during the lockdown years, Mr Jahan said it was not the same.
"We could not pray Eid Salah (a special prayer that commemorates the end of Ramadan on the day of Eid) due to lockdown.
"In fact, guests were not allowed, so we couldn’t meet anyone at all," he said.
Hundreds of people gathered at Sydney's Lakemba Mosque to celebrate Eid on Monday.
Things are not too different in Mr Adnan’s household.
His mother was up all night on the eve of Eid, cooking delicacies for friends and family.
"Eid celebrations are not complete without a lovely meal. And my mum stayed up all night making the sweets and cooking the food," he said.
On the menu at Mr Adnan’s house tonight is "lots of delicious curries, kebabs and pulao".
Tomorrow has been set aside for the Eid parties.
"I have to go to four or five Eid parties tomorrow, and I am going to pack them all in. I need to make up for all the Eid gatherings I could not go to during the lockdown years," he said.
