This weekend, all over the world, the Muslim community has celebrated the feast of Eid al-Fitr: the end of the month of Ramadan and its corresponding fasting practice. To all of you celebrating, عيد مبارك (I hope Google Translate got it right; it should say Eid Mubarak, which is the customary greeting for this occasion).

Also, in Ireland, today was Mother´s Day (the fourth Sunday in Lent), so here at home we´ve had our own little celebration: homemade crepes for breakfast, a game of Catan and homemade pizza for dinner. (Thanks a million, girls! My best present ever is spending time with you three.)

(Homemade heart-shaped pizza made by my daughter Eva. Amazing, right? She´s brilliant at this.)

What would life be without celebrations? Each nation, culture, religion, and even each family has its own celebrations, and even if they look different from the outside, below the surface it´s the same idea: as human beings, every now and then we need to take a break, get together with our loved ones and enjoy and be merry, often as a reward after challenging or difficult times.

So, similarly to how the feast of Eid takes place at the end of Ramadan, the Christian Easter takes place at the end of Lent, and is in turn a celebration of spring and the blossoming of new life after the winter, same as the Hindu festival of Holi, which took place a couple of weeks ago... And so it goes, on and on.

Each celebration brings its own traditions, which connect us more deeply to our history and our people. Having said that, let´s keep in mind that times change: life evolves, and we evolve with it. That´s why I believe we should feel at liberty to choose, adapt and create traditions and celebrations according to our circumstances and values. Allow ourselves to honour our roots and at the same time extend our wings.

What are you looking forward to celebrating? And how are you planning to do it?