Eid Mubarak Said!

Trip Start Jan 14, 2008
1
19
Trip End Ongoing


Loading Map
Map your own trip!
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
shadow

Flag of Morocco  ,
Monday, December 8, 2008

Today is Eid-al-Kebir, the largest festival of the Muslim year. It commemorates the story of Abraham, who was willing to sacrifice his son Ismail to God if God wished it. At the last moment, a ram appeared, and God (or an angel) told Abraham to sacrifice the ram instead. As a tribute to this event, each Muslim family must sacrifice a ram of their own.

In Rabat, as in most of Morocco, everything in the medina was closed. No spice sellers, no jewelry, no carpets, no clothes. Everyone took the day off, to spend it with family and friends. In the morning, they slaughtered the sheep. We didn't see the actual executions, but we did see large puddles of blood in the streets. At most street corners we found bonfires, fed with anything that might possibly burn and producing large quantities of black smoke as they struggled to stay lit on the drizzling day. Every bonfire featured a sheep's head or two at its center--roasted sheep head being a delicacy here.

On the first day of Eid, only the internal organs of the sheep are eaten. The main body is hung somewhere in the house, and the meat is cooked on the second or third day. Eid festivities can last up to a week, with lots of feasting involved. Friends and family come together to exchange gifts and stories, to share experiences and reflect on the year. In much the same way that Christmas and Hanukah unite Christian and Jewish families, respectively, Eid is the holiday that binds Muslim families together and gives them a chance to celebrate food, family, and faith.
Print this entry Rabat hotels