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Published: December 10th 2008
Eid
A nice cup of tea to celebrate EidEid Celebrations!
As I am sure most of you know there are two Eid celebrations, the one after the fasting month of Ramazan and the one to remember the sacrifice that Abraham made. This Eid was the second type and the sacrifice of an animal is the main focus!
For the last week or so the numbers of goats and sheep around have increased and many of them had pretty necklaces or decorations on them. We also saw camels! I am told that a male goat or sheep is for 1 family, a cow will do for 7 families and a camel covers 14 families!
On Eid eve we saw sheep and goats being transported to their destinations in cars, rickshaws and, funniest of all, slung across motor bikes between the usual 3 or 4 other passengers! I felt very sorry for all these creatures knowing what their fate was to be!
We had been invited to Irfan house for a couple of days and after the normal bumpy, dusty journey we arrived at his village. We then spent the day being taken around to all his relatives’ houses rather like a prize possession to be
Camel
A camel is shares between 14 families shown off! We did the Pakistani greetings then the English ‘How do you do’ much to everyone’s delight and for the rest of the visit the children run around practicing and giggling! We drink mixed tea and eat biscuits that the children are sent out to buy from the local kiosk. Then we are ignored while they have long conversations about -well- who knows!
At Irfans house there is one squat toilet across the yard and a sort of cold shower arrangement and a sink. Great!! However we are told that his uncle has a commode and we are welcome to go and use that!! So another visit!! After visiting we decided that the facilities at Irfans were better!
So, Eid morning…..men up and dressed very smartly to go and offer prayers, women sweeping and cleaning. When they came back everyone seemed very happy and greeted each other and gave the children gifts of money. Luckily we had some small notes so we could follow suite. We ate some lovely sweet noodle type dish. Then the sacrifice—did we want to watch? I opted for the roof with the children but Geoff stayed near the action. The knife could have been sharper—infact for the second goat they realised this and did sharpen it! Once the blood had drained into a small dug in the yard the animal was hauled up and strung from the tree to make skinning easier.
Now for the butchering-all just done on the ground in the yard!
Men only as the women starting to cook chapattis and prepare ingredients for curry.
I am sitting on low stool in tiny kitchen area peeling about a 100 cloves of garlic with my nails when in comes all the offal. Some ladies delight in eating raw liver and kidney -I decline!! So offal curry is made, then in comes heads and feet.
Meanwhile the men are literally hacking the carcass into small bits, no nice leg or joints! Some meat is given to the poor ,some to relatives and the rest made into a rather yummy curry to be eaten that evening!
Apart from that Eid day was very quiet.
Back at Sydenwala now and a couple more days off. Not sure what we will do as transport is a problem-perhaps sit in the garden in the warm sun and read!!
Hope your Christmas preparations are going well. I feel that the sacrifice of a small fir tree is quite enough to celebrate our traditions!!
Much Love Jane and Geoff
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Ahsan
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Belated Eid Mubarik
Belated Eid Mubarik to you also and future eid also in advance. http://www.funandmaza.110mb.com