Squatting on a stool with apron tied tight, sleeves rolled up, and hands elbow deep in a tub of blood, excrement, and organs, my friends and constant teachers look at me with the joy of Christmas morning in their eyes and say "Julie, this day isn't like others. This is a special day. Look how beautiful it is." I smiled and grimaced sliding my fingers through a ruffled small intestine. This is the Eid al-Adha, the Eid al-Kabir, Festival of the Sacrifice or the Greater Festival.
The purpose of the Eid is to celebrate the will and obedience of Abraham to sacrifice his son with God's commandment. While many traditions and celebrations vary based on country, region, even family and devotion, the central theme is a commemorative sacrifice of an animal like the ram that was sent to replace the boy in the nick of time.
There are many good resources if you want to read more about the festival and rites associated with it. This post is merely our experience and contains the cultural references and comparisons we understood it with. I do want to include that this sacrifice isn't what we may think of as being for the forgiveness of sin through shedding blood or even a way to gain brownie points with God. It is a remembrance. It is also ideally a time of charity, giving 1/3 of the meat to the poor. That said, there is a spectrum of how people connect religiously to the traditions, much like we celebrate Christmas in America. For some, it is all about the prophet Abraham and for others, it is all about that lamb shank.
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| Abraham's sacrifice in the bible In the Quran In the Torah |
There are many good resources if you want to read more about the festival and rites associated with it. This post is merely our experience and contains the cultural references and comparisons we understood it with. I do want to include that this sacrifice isn't what we may think of as being for the forgiveness of sin through shedding blood or even a way to gain brownie points with God. It is a remembrance. It is also ideally a time of charity, giving 1/3 of the meat to the poor. That said, there is a spectrum of how people connect religiously to the traditions, much like we celebrate Christmas in America. For some, it is all about the prophet Abraham and for others, it is all about that lamb shank.
Our experience with the Eid really began when the animals came to town. It felt a bit like the holiday spirit of Christmas with corals of goats and rams in the place of pine trees in supermarket parking lots. Family coming to visit, a school break, gifts to buy, feasting to expect, and a connection to religious tradition- all of this is easy to relate to. I don't think anyone will be making an Eid scented candle anytime soon, but anticipation was in the air.
Most people here believe that slaughtering an animal is mandatory for each nuclear family, meaning that if we were muslim, Zach and I would be expected to sacrifice our own goat, ram, cow, or even camel. As the Eid approached, we were asked frequently if we had gotten our animal yet, but we decided against it and instead participated with our host family that was kind enough to share theirs with us. They had a goat and a ram that the only son and employed sibling bought for the family. The goat was killed the day before so we could get a head start on cleaning. (Goat is considered a healthier alternative for diabetics.)
On the morning of the Eid, the King of Morocco is televised as he prays in the mosque. He then kills two rams, one for the poor and one for his family. Yes, separation of church and state really isn't a thing here.
Then it all began. Standing on the balcony I saw men walking back in floods from the mosques, heard knives being sharpened, saw buckets of water being pulled out to the streets, and began yelling "Eid Mubarak" as it was being yelled up to me. Doors became revolving. Neighbors and friends were coming in and out and we were going out and in for a quick greeting and a happy holiday. Rams were being pulled out and we hurried to the street to watch. I saw a dead cockroach as we rushed down the stairs and joked I had woken up early to sacrifice it. I don't think it was funny.
There were special men doing the sacrificing in our community. They were experienced and also set apart in some way as able or pious enough to say a prayer before the intentionally humane slitting of the throat. They were being scheduled and paid by different families. After it had died, he would move on to his next animal. The ram was pumped up with a bike pump or some robust lungs to make skinning faster. Legs and head were cut off. It was then hung up, skinned, and cleaned. Organs were handed to the waiting woman with bucket ready. We, the women, took that bucket of organ, legs, and head for our part of the process. We found a corner in the street to build a small fire and roasted the hair off of the legs and head. Not exactly a "Kumbaya" moment.
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| No permission to use this photo on demonic websites. Yikes. |
We had started shortly after 9:00 and were finished by 1:00. Then, it was barbecue time. With the men back we all sat around the table and made shish-kabobs by wrapping the heart and liver with stomach fat. One of us grilled and we ate them hot as they came off the charcoals with bread and dipped in cumin and paprika. We were exhausted, a feeling reminiscent of what comes after finishing the excitement of opening Christmas presents, and found a place on a ponj for a long nap. The rest of the day was more visiting, henna, and gift giving.
That night, we had organ stew for dinner. For breakfast, we had the head with tea. We had to leave the following morning, but the Eid continues for 3-4 days afterwords. Family will visit and bring each other the legs of their rams. School is still out. Businesses are closed. The feasting continues.
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