Eid al-Adha

This Muslim holiday begins today and lasts for three or four days. It is the second Eid of the year on the Islamic calendar; the first one marks the end of Ramadan. This one commemorates the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice Ishmael -- according to the Koran, Ishmael was spared, and a sheep was sacrificed in his place.

"Wait a minute," you say -- "Wasn't it Isaac that was to be sacrified?" Yes, according to the book of Genesis it was Isaac, but according to the Koran, it was Ishmael.

So this is the celebration. According to the Chicago Tribune, "Muslims traditionally put on their best clothes in the morning and meet in large, open spaces to pray to Allah. After listening to a sermon, they disperse to visit family and friends, partake in festive dishes and sweets, and give children eidee (Eid money) and other gifts.

Tim says he is rather glad he is home in the US of A instead of in Fes for the celebration. His friends, Najib and Abdullah, brought a sheep over to live in Tim's back yard for a couple of days until they could slaughter it appropriately, as is the custom. Tim helped them carry this Very Large Sheep through his house and into his back yard where it quietly lived off the grass for the last couple of days of his life. (His? Sheep with horns = male?)

The sheep must be slaughtered ceremoniously, and then left to drain all the blood so that it will be hallal (or ceremoniously clean). Tonight, the first night of Eid, they will eat the liver, spleen and heart. It's organ night.

Tomorrow night is the sheep's head and the brains.

Now you know why Tim is glad he is at home and not visiting Najib who had already invited him to be part of the celebration. Fortunately, according to Tim, he already had his plane tickets home.

And we had pork chops for dinner.

Not hallal.

Definitely not hallal.