Eid Creations brings Ramadan, Eid partyware to untapped market By Carly McFadden

As seen in Holiday Shop 2023

To act as a pioneer in an underrepresented marketplace is no easy feat, but Eid Creations has helped to create a more inclusive retail space by doing just that.

Islam is the second-largest religion worldwide, but partyware and tabletop offerings for the religion’s holidays and occasions — such as Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr — have historically been in short supply.

Ramadan takes place throughout the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is considered one of the holiest months for those practicing Islam. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, focusing on prayer, self-reflection and recharging one’s spirituality. Families and friends then gather to enjoy
Iftar, the meal that occurs at sunset every day.

Ramadan follows the lunar calendar and, as such, falls on different dates each year. In 2023, Ramadan took place March 22 to April 21. Next year’s observation will occur March 10 to April 9, 2024.

Marking the end of Ramadan is Eid al-Fitr, a three-day festival that translates to “the festival of the breaking of the fast.” During this holiday, Muslims participate in morning prayers, gather with loved ones, give gifts, play games and enjoy special meals together.

While the two occasions are significant in Islam, the market for Ramadan- and Eid-specific tableware and décor was virtually nonexistent.

In steps Rana Bacaloni, owner and creative director of Eid Creations, a purveyor of upscale disposable partyware to celebrate Islamic holidays, in 2011.

Bacaloni was a party planner at her daughter’s private school and found herself with no choice but to take a DIY approach to Ramadan and Eid décor for not only the school but her family’s celebrations, as well — and she was not alone.

“That’s how Eid Creations came into being,” she said. “I was sitting there at a tea party with my girlfriends and parents, and we were all lamenting how there was nothing out there. That’s how it all started. I right away went into design mode.”

At Eid Creations’ conception, the mission was to increase representation and awareness in the retail space for those celebrating Islamic holidays.

“My original mission was to be able to bring Ramadan and Eid in the mainstream markets,” Bacaloni said. “That’s why I started this whole thing, so people can go to mainstream markets and just pick up Ramadan and Eid things, because growing up here, that didn’t exist.”

WORLDLY DESIGNS

Bacaloni truly worked from the ground up when designing products for Eid Creations. Unlike most commercialized holidays, there was no specific set of colors or icons associated with Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr.

“With Christmas, there are [reds and greens] and Santa Claus,” she explained. “I was trying to find something that symbolizes Ramadan and Eid. But because we are from many, many cultures, I came up with the conclusion that it shouldn’t be one color or one design.”

Bacaloni embodies what it means to be a “world citizen.” She has lived in Beirut, Paris, Rome and Geneva, and now resides in Los Angeles, where she operates her business. Subsequently, Eid Creations’ designs are inspired by multiple cultures. Bacaloni leaned into the Silk Road concept, connecting people and cultures.

“‘Silk Road’ has been used as a metaphor of European and Asian cultural interchange,” she said. “The Silk Road provided the vehicle for all sorts of creative exchange between tremendously diverse peoples and cultures.”

Bacaloni described her style as modern and unique with a cultural flair, and one of her personal favorites is the Marrakesh aesthetic, the line that started it all.

“I started with the Marrakesh collection because of the mystique nature that this place has on renowned designers such as Yves Saint Laurent,” she said. “My goal is to make designs inspired by different cultures following the trade roads.”

Her designs include geometrics, florals, paisleys and pastel ombrés. According to Bacaloni, the market Eid Creations serves is very creative by nature. Bacaloni is purposeful to offer mix-and-match products, enabling customers to customize their tableware to their preferences.

“I didn’t want us to be limited with designs because the religion is very rich,” she said. “It’s many cultures, many beautiful designs, so why limit it?”

Bacaloni added: “I’ve got three different sizes [of plates], and they fit into each other. That way, your party will be different from somebody else’s party because you can just pick from any of the designs and they mix together. I tried colors that would match together. You can even mix the Turkish [style] with the Moroccan, or just plain colors with the floral with geometric. So it [allows for] more artistic, more personalized parties.”

The majority of Eid Creations’ products are disposable and constructed of paper, but Bacaloni said she sees demand growing for reusable, sustainable products. Therefore, she introduced melamine and acrylic products last year.

FULFILLING A MISSION

Bacaloni admitted the first several years of Eid Creations were challenging while she persuaded retailers to carry partyware for holidays they never carried lines for before. But by 2019, Eid Creations won “Best Product” at NY NOW and was approached by mainstream retailers such as Oriental Trading Company and Walmart.

Today, Eid Creations offers partyware for more than just Ramadan and Eid. The company creates supplies for baby and bridal showers, weddings, Thanksgiving, Mother’s Day and July 4 — just to name a few.

“It seems like yesterday, but it took years in the making,” Bacaloni said with a laugh.

While raising awareness is a cause close to Bacaloni’s heart, Eid Creations also strives to foster inclusivity, a distinction that is important to make, she said.

“When you grow up somewhere, you want to be represented,” she said. “You feel proud and you feel like you belong when you see items of the holiday that you celebrate readily available.”