Memories of salami: Stars gleefully reminisce

Who doesn't remember the times when we used to eagerly await our Eid 'salami' or eidis (gift money)? Even seasoned, veteran stars cannot help but feel emotional when we ask them about their fondest Eid memories!

Six of our stars hence shared their respective recollections regarding receiving these tokens of tradition.

Abul Hayat

I do not think that I can ever forget my sweet memories with Eid salami. At my age, I tend to forget a lot of things, but this isn't one of them! Back in the day, my father bought me a clay bank to save my 'earnings' and told me I should save up money, as it would help me in the long term. I remember wanting to buy a toy gun and saving up Tk 30 for it. However, it was Tk 45! To my relief, my parents paid for the rest of it. Now, I offer salami to my grandchildren, and that's a different joy altogether.

Dolly Johur

Nowadays, salami is almost mandatory for kids. However, in our time, it was not. even when I received a maximum of Tk 10, I was so happy! My friends and I used to save up the money and eat out – just thinking about it makes me nostalgic! I don't even know when these days were lost to time.

Khurshid Alam

I grew up in Old Dhaka's Nazira Bazar area. The '50s and '60s make me incredibly nostalgic while also bringing a smile to my face. Not only my own family, but people in my neighborhood were also very cordial, we went to pray Eid salat together in the morning and exchanged pleasantries. We had so much fun together when we went to fairs – they were dime-a-dozen back in the day. I remember going to a fair that took place in a big field near Azimpur graveyard. With the money that we got from our salami, we bought kulfi ice cream and toys. Hindi films used to play in theatres, where only the adults could go. We thus ate our ice cream and played together the rest of the day, before going home.

Sohel Rana

My father used to be a government employee, and because of his job, we had to move around Bangladesh a lot. I used to get a handsome amount of salami from my father, added to the plethora of clothing from our relatives – those also used to feel like eidi. However, at that time, it was a completely optional tradition, we never pressured anyone to give us money. Nowadays, Eid is more about responsibility than joy, and that is fine as well.

Rafiqul Alam

I used to receive silver coins as Eid salami, and that's hard to forget! Not only my parents but my aunts and uncles also treated me to those coins. Funnily enough, I never saved any of that money, I used to immediately spend it all on sweets and candies. At my age now, I am the one giving salami – and that fills my mind with joy too.

Fazlur Rahman Babu

When I was a child, I never expected salami from anyone besides my father. Back then, people often had less disposable income compared to the present day. I used to get a maximum of Tk 1 from my father, but that felt like a crore! I used to wait for what felt like ages for new clothes and that Tk 1. Nowadays, I often reminisce about those golden times, and how the simplicity of Eid got lost. Now I do get a lot of delight when I give salami to my children and younger relatives.

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