Your holiday is almost over with and mine is just beginning. I will be fasting for the next 9 days while the pilgrims (funny we have pilgrims too) go to Mecca to do the annual pilgrimage. This is a very gruling treck (I did this 5 years ago) for a period of 4 days where they will be stoning the jamarat (a symbol of the devil) for 3 days, going to arafat to pray the entire day where all supplications are answered and going back and forth to Mecca to circle the kaba. This is the same way our prophet did so it has very many phases. They will all sacrifice a goat as did Abraham and then returning home for celebration of everyone.
While they ar gone we fast. Hoping that Allah will be happy with us. On the tenth day we have something similar to your Christmas. We buy prresents only for the children not the adults and make a sweet filled with dates. We visit all of our friends and neighbors and drink a bit of arabic coffee. On the first day, the families are busy sacrificing the goats and giving alot of it away. 1/3 to the poor, 1/3 to the neighbors and they keep 1/3. A lot of real religious families give the entire goat away. So this is a very exciting time for them and me too. So during this time we are very religious, no talking about anyone, no bad deeds and if you are married no sexual contact till after you break the fast at sunset.
Fasting cleans your colon, purifies your soul and hightens your faith. I hope that all of you have a blessed holiday and wish me well also.