This past month marked the celebration of the largest feast in our country. Our friends celebrate the feast to commemorate the story from their book of Abrahim almost sacrificing Ishmael. The feast culminates with a huge slaughter of cows and sheep on almost every street corner across the country. It is a very festive time of year with lots of celebrations, fire works and, of course, meat.
Well to do families will purchase a cow or two, slaughter them, give 1/3 of the meat to family and friends, 1/3 to the poor and cook the remaining 1/3 and have a huge feast. Moderately well to do families will buy a sheep or two and share it with their friends and family. The remainder of the people will buy as much meat as they can afford from the butcher or wait in line to receive it from one of the generous people in their neighbourhood. We were privileged to join one of our friends for such a feast.
Some of the pictures below may not be for the faint of heart of queasy of stomach.
Well to do families will purchase a cow or two, slaughter them, give 1/3 of the meat to family and friends, 1/3 to the poor and cook the remaining 1/3 and have a huge feast. Moderately well to do families will buy a sheep or two and share it with their friends and family. The remainder of the people will buy as much meat as they can afford from the butcher or wait in line to receive it from one of the generous people in their neighbourhood. We were privileged to join one of our friends for such a feast.
Some of the pictures below may not be for the faint of heart of queasy of stomach.
A couple of cows being delivered.
To the left, behind the yellow flag is a local butcher shop. The street is red with blood flowing from his hard work. Thankfully they later hosed down the street ... but unfortunately it didn't keep the black flies at bay.
The girls standing in front of supper.
The whole experience has yet to turn them vegetarian (A is back to eating chicken after about six months of abstaining due to the death of our balcony chicks).
Another local butcher shop is down to the left while a crowd of people sit in white plastic chairs watching the butchering from above.
Meanwhile, Mr. Cow is waiting his turn.
