Please stop with the generic Eid greetings

Illustration: TBS

Eid. A time for joy, celebration, and a tsunami of generic greeting messages that make me feel like I have travelled back in time to the previous Eid — all messages are the same. Every time I look at one, it feels like I have seen it before. And the deja vu is not mine alone.

People keep sending the same messages year after year, Eid after Eid. Almost every one of the messages reads 'Eid Mubarak to you and your family' or 'XYZ Limited wishes you and your family a happy Eid'. 

Such banal words have lost their meaning to many of us, as they should, because it is a copy-paste of words from past years that carry no emotion from the sender. 

I hardly read such messages, let alone reply to them. Getting these messages makes me want to toss my phone out the window. And let's be honest, do any of us actually reply to greeting messages unless they have a personal touch? Probably not. 

Now, don't get me wrong. I love being greeted on Eid. It is the same as the excitement of dressing up in new clothes, the mouth-watering aroma of delicious dishes throughout the house, and the laughter of family and friends gathering to celebrate. And sharing love and best wishes among people is just as important as buying new clothes or meeting friends.  

But the problem is that all the other activities are heartfelt expressions of joy, while the barrage of generic Eid messages is about as exciting as counting cars on the street. They lack the spark, the personal touch, or, as the French say, the "je ne sais quoi" that makes a greeting feel special. 

For the reader, it is a chore to read through them — a boring and repetitive ritual that quickly turns into a nuisance. And when it does prompt a response from us, the reply is just as tone-deaf and generic. 

And it is not only people; businesses are guilty as well. Companies often send out generic, mass-produced Eid greetings in the hope of connecting with clients, but these messages are no more personal than a scripted telemarketing pitch. 

Rather than winning over their customers, they run the danger of annoyance and insincerity. These corporate messages, flooding our inbox with the same robotic cheer, can feel more like spam than a heartfelt wish. 

It is borderline harassment, really. Imagine thinking about the festivities ahead while your phone keeps buzzing with the same monotonous wishes: "Eid Mubarak! May this Eid bring joy and happiness to you and your family." There it is again! 

A generic Eid greeting just does not match the whole Eid vibe! For us, Eid is the biggest festival where we feel loved and at home. A personal, unique Eid message is like sending us a nice bowl of shemai. 

Imagine the joy you would feel if someone took a moment to think about you, mentioned something specific to you — an inside joke, a recent achievement, or a shared memory — and then wished you a happy Eid? How lovely it would have been! So why not try to spread love and make others feel loved? 

In the spirit of Eid, let us strive to be better. Let's make our greetings more personalised, and heartfelt. After all, Eid is a time for connecting with loved ones in meaningful ways, not just ticking off names on a list.

Let's do everyone a favour and ditch the robotic greetings. Let's put in a little effort and make our wishes count. Ultimately, the purpose of Eid is to share happiness, and nothing is more effective than a heartfelt message. And remember, if your greeting is not personalised, you might not get a reply — so why not make it memorable?

Shadique Mahbub Islam. Sketch: TBS

Shadique Mahbub Islam is a journalist.