“Cultural festivals, traditions and holidays offer an opportunity to get together, share stories and food, and celebrate each other. I grew up in India, where we celebrated many festivals, and one of my favorite memories is from Eid mornings, when my mother would prepare a big pot of ‘sheer kurma’, a sweet, vermicelli milk pudding with lots of nuts and dates. Our house would get filled with its aroma, and I couldn’t wait for it to be ready. I was always assigned the most important task – of carrying trays filled with bowls of sheer kurma and distributing them to our neighbors. As I would go from floor to floor, carefully balancing each bowl, I’d feel the spirit of my festival. Exchanging greetings and wishes, visiting friends and family, and sharing good food and cheer.

I invite you to celebrate Eid in a place I now call home; Lands End.  We will spend the morning in a beautiful indigenous plant habitat, nurturing our park site, sharing stories, and enjoying a bowl of sheer kurma together."

- Yakuta Poonawalla, Community Programs Manager, Park Stewardship Program, San Francisco