Celebrations and Customs

Q: Is it permissible to celebrate a wedding anniversary, not on a large scale but just a little surprise for my husband within the budget of aprox. R500?

Q: If a Muslim wished someone merry christmas will he have become a kafir, because in modern times christmas is just another cultural money making thing and people do not know the reality of christmas that it is the celebrating of jesus birthday and therefore if a muslim said merry christmas at a time without realising at the time the consequence and value of what he was saying he merely just said it out of respect or he said it but out of regret then will he become a kafir at that point? Because a muslim could have said the words merry christmas but with regret in his heart, obviously one understands to not do such a thing again but will he have become kafir for saying this without truly meaning it ?

Q: What is the Islamic perspective on Black Friday sales? I’ve read that this day is linked to Christian holidays. Even some Muslim businesses are promoting items for this day.

Q: Is there any significance of rosh hashanah and Passover in Islam. What to do if one is invited to them?

Q: Is it allowed to celebrate an independence of a country like India, etc. for a Muslim citizen?

Q: My husband and his family do birthdays and anniversaries. I do not want to celebrate my daughters birthday because it will then happen every year. She is just a baby. This however causes friction in the family. What do I do?

Q: I was an orphan and was brought up by my father's brother. My cousins are planning to give a surprise birthday party calling all his close people like friend's, relatives, etc. I normally don't attend birthday parties but now I'm confused. I don't want to attend the party but at the same time I feel bad because they will feel bad since we were all brought up in the same house like his own children. In recent times our relationship has distanced to some extent, I'm in a dilemma that if I don't attend will our relationship further worsen. 

Q: If someone invites me to a birthday party, Christmas party, etc. Should I attend?

Q: Is it permissible to follow a rasam in any function, e.g. like placing flowers around the neck, etc..

Q: Before I had an idea about not celebrating birthdays, but on my first birthday in university, I gave a treat thinking that to feed someone is good, but I don't know if it's correct or wrong! Now, my second birthday is about to come and I don't know what to do if they greet me on my birthday, Alhamdulillah this year it's Sunday (I'll be on leave) but what reply must I give to the messages and phone calls from people who greet me (as I don't want to celebrate/give a treat in the name of a birthday), could you please tell me?