This post is not for the faint-of-heart.You have been warned.Despite common misconception I have not seen any camels in the streets of Cairo. These days in the city they really only use camels for tourist rides and dinner. However, over the past month, I have seen makeshift stables pop up all over town housing sheep, goats, cows and farmer's families. I learned that this was all leading up to today's Eid al-Adha - The Great Feast. It commemorates Abraham's sacrifice of a sheep in place of his son. And thus entails the slaughter of many sheep. (OK, you see where this email is headed so if you keep reading it's your own fault.) In practice this holiday looks a lot like our American Thanksgiving. Most have the week off and travel to see their families. And there are lots of sales in the stores, children are given new clothes, it's all quite festive.
This morning, the city awoke early and shared morning prayers together like Friday noontime prayer that is called from the loudspeakers of every mosque. The mosques are packed and overflow into the streets. There is a carinval in the streets, amusement rides, cotton candy. And by 8 am the mass animal slaughter had already begun.
This morning, the city awoke early and shared morning prayers together like Friday noontime prayer that is called from the loudspeakers of every mosque. The mosques are packed and overflow into the streets. There is a carinval in the streets, amusement rides, cotton candy. And by 8 am the mass animal slaughter had already begun.
Silly Governor Palin's interview at the Turkey Farm that got so many hits on the internet for being gory is nothing compared to what I witnessed today. Despite the fact that when I was very young my grandfather was a butcher and my father hunts, this city girl has never seen anything like this in my life.
The streets truly ran red with the blood.
My neighbors slaughtered their sheep in the lobby of their building. Marble floors clean up easily with a water hose. I watched from my balcony. I could not help but think of the elevator scene in The Shining as the blood ran down the front steps and out the door into the street. I know it was not this bad, but to my sanitized sensibilities of frozen turkeys and shrink wrap it looked that bad to me.
My neighbors slaughtered their sheep in the lobby of their building. Marble floors clean up easily with a water hose. I watched from my balcony. I could not help but think of the elevator scene in The Shining as the blood ran down the front steps and out the door into the street. I know it was not this bad, but to my sanitized sensibilities of frozen turkeys and shrink wrap it looked that bad to me.
I went to the butcher shop. I forced myself to witness this holiday in all it's glory. It was a party atmosphere there. Families arrive together, select their beast and then supervise its preparation. The butchers recognized me from the other day when I photographed the live sheep. They smiled and laughed as I photographed today's events. A young boy of maybe 8 proudly worked along side his father and showed off his blood soaked gallabaya.
Despite my shock, awe and queasy stomach, it is a festive holiday and a great feast. It's a time spent with family and dedicated to help those less forunate. All of the meat is divided into thirds - 1/3 is eaten, 1/3 distributed to family members, and 1/3 to the poor.
So everyone eats well today.
Enjoy your Holidays however you celebrate them.
So everyone eats well today.
Enjoy your Holidays however you celebrate them.
4 comments:
Your grandfather was a butcher?? Do they just let the blood go or do they use that too? Must smell great...:)
riveting
LOL yes my mother's father was a butcher among many other jobs. When I was child he owned a "meat truck" and delivered meat & fish throughout the greater Brockton area.
And for the record, my father's father was a milk man.
Never too late to learn something new about an old friend, huh. :-)
And as far as I could see no blood was saved or used in anyway.
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