Cultural contexts in the world of remote software teams - Eid Festivals

We are fast moving towards a work culture where most of our team members are located away from us - and in many cases thousands of miles away, in a different cultural context and a different language-speaking world. This new reality is making it extremely important to know the cross-cultural issues of a mixed team - for team members of course but more importantly for team leaders. Without knowing the at least an overview of the context the team dynamics can become very complicated. We wrote recently about such contexts such as knowing 5 words of the remote team that is beyond just knowing a few words in a new language but really knowing something key. We also wrote about the general cultural issues that every remote software team should be aware of. The recent passing of the Eid festivals in Muslim countries reminds us of another such cultural context, as Eid in the Muslim world is equal to Christmas in the Christian world and thus it has a lot of hit on the teams workflow.

The Eids - there are two of them

Eid is a time of celebration and joy for Muslims around the world. The festival is celebrated twice a year: Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, and Eid al-Adha, which is around a two months after the Eid al Fitr. These festivals are significant religious holidays for Muslims and are celebrated with great enthusiasm and fervor.

And most importantly, in both of them, you greet each other with the words “Eid Mubarak”.

The first Eid - Eid al Fitr

For Muslims, Eid al-Fitr is a time of joy and celebration after a month-long period of fasting during Ramadan. In most countries people just refer to this first Eid as just “Eid” and have a modified named for the 2nd Eid (Eid al Adha), e.g. in Bangladesh Eid al Adha is usually referred to as “Kurbani Eid”.

Eid al Fitr is time to thank God for the blessings received during Ramadan and to forgive and forget any past grievances. The day starts with a special prayer at the mosque and is followed by a traditional breakfast meal. Families and friends come together to exchange gifts and greetings, and children often receive money as a token of love and affection.

The second Eid - Eid al Adha

Eid al-Adha, on the other hand, is a time for Muslims to commemorate the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismail. The day starts with a special prayer called Eid Salah, followed by the sacrifice of an animal, usually a goat, sheep, or cow. This is why in Bangladesh this Eid is known as “Kurbani” Eid - the word “Kurbani” means to sacrifice. The meat is divided into three parts: one for the family, one for friends and neighbors, and one for the poor and needy.

In addition to these religious observances, there are also cultural traditions associated with Eid. For example, in some Muslim countries, it is customary to wear new clothes on Eid and to decorate homes and streets with colorful lights and decorations. In some countries, people exchange sweets and other delicacies, while in others, it is common to prepare a special Eid meal for family and friends.

Your team and Eid

Understanding the cultural context of Eid is important for software teams that work with Muslim countries is super important as these two events have a significant impact on work, life and thinking of your team. The first and foremost is the reason of showing respect. As Eids are religious festivals there is a lot reverence involved around it and it will be greatly appreciated by your team if you know some basics about the Eids. By taking the time to learn about Eid and its significance, you demonstrate your willingness to engage with your colleagues on a deeper level and to build stronger relationships based on mutual understanding and respect.

Understanding the cultural context of Eid can help you to be more effective in your work. For example, if you are aware that your colleagues will be celebrating Eid, you can plan your work schedule accordingly. You can also take into account the fact that many Muslim countries have different working hours during Eid, which may affect your ability to communicate with your colleagues or to receive timely feedback on your work.

The other big thing about knowing some background is to avoid misunderstandings or cultural faux pas! For example, if you are planning to send an email or schedule a meeting during Eid, it is important to be aware of the fact that your team members may be busy with religious observances or spending time with family and friends. By being sensitive to these cultural differences, you can avoid unintentionally causing offense or misunderstanding.

Hope this little post helped you a bit in running your remote software team better. Eid Mubarak!