Meat Me on Saturday

The pretty picture first.
I made sugar cookies and pumpkin bread along with some dried dates for our neighbors.

Oh, Little Cow, run for your life!

One thing I’ve noticed about the digital age is that I not only have a new techy way to keep track of my days through snappy calendar apps, but I also have the opportunity to try to coordinate it with anyone else who has the “sharing” capability on their computers.  Now that I’ve updated to the most recent software, the all-new and improved calendar app will also tell me when they celebrate Rosh Hoshana in Israel and Buddha’s birthday in Taiwan.  Intriguing information for sure, but UNNECESSARY when trying to keep my life as simply as possible.

Butcher Guy...props, man!

Which brings me to our life here.  In our current culture, you have the regular ol’ calendar that runs January through December AND you also have the Islamic calendar which still confuses the heck out of me because it’s based on moon phases and the like.  Just this last week Eid Al Adha "Feast of the Sacrifice" was celebrated.  This holiday begins 40 days after Ramadan and Eid al Fitr plus 4 days if the moon is a crescent minus 6 days if it's cloudy…annnnnnnyway, we just wait until one of our neighbors tell us it’s here and then we join in.

This particular Eid is commemorating the story (as told in the Q’ran) of Abraham willingly sacrificing his son to Allah, but ultimately using a ram instead. (Sounds very similar to the Christian account in Genesis 22.)  As part of their tradition, on the first day of Eid al Adha, a family (or group of families) will purchase a live sheep, goat or bull, kill it and then butcher it.  The meat is then divided among the family members and a feast is prepared.

Dividing it up...

John received an invitation from one of his friends to join his family for this special event.  I was personally thankful that this was not an activity for women as I would have been of little use passed out on the ground.

Saturday came.  A car arrived to pick John up and take him into the market where the family would meet him.  He arrived around 9:30 am and his friend, Ibrahim*, was waiting for him.  His family had chosen a bull for the occasion.  Others from the city were gathered making their "meat" choices as well.  The butcher had a big job ahead of him.  Each family would choose an animal, kill it and then have it butchered on site.  

The street after...
I've edited out most of the pics.

John said he and the group of men stood around until their turn came.  I won’t go into detail, but John said that it was as you would imagine when 7 bulls were all being butchered at the same time in the same place.  The temperature reached around 105º that day, so the air was thick.  Some little boys were there and found the 4 stomachs entirely fascinating.  MY stomach churns while even typing this.

It took around 4 hours for the butcher to complete his work for those in line.  He placed the divided meat into large plastic bags for each family member to take home.  John received his own “to go” bag as well.  

John thanked Ibrahim profusely and wished him a very happy Eid.  Ibrahim will now return home where he will present the meat to his wife who will then boil it and place it on a mound of rice with tomato sauce.  The first night, however, is for special prayers and family.  John understood, said goodbye and arrived home.  He smiled and presented to me my own bag o’ meat.

I’ve never seriously considered becoming a vegetarian until now.  Oh, and it’s still warm!

How does that saying go?
From farm to table
in 6 short hours?

Just then, our landlord knocked on our door and presented us with a large plate of their cooked meat.  We thanked him and placed it in the refrigerator.

We ate cereal for dinner.  (The beef dish is actually is quite good, but not on the same day as well, you know...I like to think that meat comes to me the way God intended...cut into a roast, frozen and on a pretty little piece of earth-killing styrofoam. Today's events prevent me from my delusion.)

The Eid continues for 4 days, (They know how to do celebrations here.) so no work, no school, just families hanging out together while eating lots and lots of meat.

One of our Western friends told us that John’s invitation to this event was quite special.  That it is rare to be invited to such an occasion.  We stopped to thank the Lord that we’ve been welcomed by these dear people.  We don’t always understand what’s happening around us or why, but we do know that most of the time we are the only Christians present.  We can always pray.  We can always talk about our Truest Friend. We can always have meat.  

I’m hoping the next event on the calendar is “Ye Olde Ancient Eid O’ the Chocolate.” Please, oh, please…