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THE FEAST OF THE LAMB (08/10/2012) So that we understand, this feast is comparable, in its importance and by the acts that take place, to our Christmas celebration. The families take advantage of this event to travel from the farthest places to get together around the table. For Islam, the third great monotheistic religion that appeared after Judaism and Catholicism, and which is practiced by more than 1,200 million people all over the world, the Feast of the Lamb is their major feast. It is the Feast of Sacrifice or AID EI ADHA, in remembrance of the lamb that Ibrahim slit its throat, as a sacrifice to God, in place of his own son. Every year (AL HIJRI), on the tenth of the month DI ALHJA (the month in which the Muslim pilgrims come to Mecca to pray (ALHIJA means pilgrimage) the parents slit the throat of a lamb or of another male animal that is then made ready and eaten with one’s family. It is the main ritual of the celebrations that will last several days (three days usually in Morocco). The feast begins early in the morning after the prayer of AID in the mosque. The Old Testament tells us that the prophet Abraham (IBRAHIM in Islam) had to sacrifice his son Isaac (who according to the Qur’an was Ismail), as the Divinity had ordered, to show his total surrender to God. However, at the very moment when he was carrying out the deed, God stopped his hand and ordered him to slaughter a lamb instead. This festivity, known as the Muslim Passover, takes place at the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the obligations that every good Muslim must carry out at least once in his life time. The point of reference of this feast is, without any doubt, the camp of MENA, that welcomes two and a half million pilgrims where one lives a day of lamb, barber and new clothes. Many years ago, the Saudi Government, prohibited the slaughter of animals to avoid sanitary problems. The sacrifice is now made by buying State Bonds, so that the State’s butchers take care of the task. Besides the traditional meal, today is the day when the male pilgrims have their hair cut or even shave it all, with the message that a new life begins, in which, from then on, they will be called (ALHAJ) (pilgrims). The pilgrim, having got rid of his hair, gets rid of his dirty clothes, takes a shower, and dons a new tunic, while exchanging congratulations with friends and acquaintances. In spite of the high prices of these animals, in most parts of the Islamic world - for example, in Tunisia the price goes from 200 and 300 euros, and in Algiers is more than 400 euros - the lambs are sacrificed at the end of the morning prayer, and the majority of the families turn to butchers that tour the streets with their tools offering their services. The slaughter is carried out, according to tradition, following the ALLAH ritual, that lay down that the butcher does it with a holy knife. As it is governed by the Islamic calendar (lunar) it doesn’t coincide with a concrete day of our calendar (Gregorian). The last Feast of the Lamb took place on the 10st of December 2008 and the next one will be around the 28th of Nov. of 2009. THE RITUAL OF THE SACRIFICE (Depending on the country or the region, there are different ways of commemorating the feast and here we are going to explain how it is celebrated in the north of Morocco). From the day before the feast, there is a feeling of great excitement in Morocco while the preparations are made. In all the cities and villages of the country, large markets are set up selling lambs, and the people crowd together to buy their animals with the money they have been saving all year round for this special occasion. It is so important that, in the reign of Hassan II, the Moroccan people were excused this celebration, because it had been an awful year for the country’s economy, and, therefore, the people didn’t have enough money to buy their lamb. He made this solution so as to avoid a social frustration. The price of lambs is very high and it depends on the year’s climatology: if there had been plenty of rainfall and the pastures are good, the price is lower, but if there has been a drought, then the prices go sky high. This last year the price of the rams has fluctuated from 1000 to 3000 dirham, starting from 100 euros, an excessive price for a country where the majority of the population is poor. It is quite frequent for a family to get into debt or to sell some jewelry, or to borrow money from friends, in order to buy the precious animal. The animal must be in a perfect condition. It is checked to see if it is sick or blind in one eye or lame and it must have a long tail (it must surpass the knee). A male is preferable, which must have horns, to a female, which is cheaper. Those families, who can’t buy a lamb, fulfill the Qur’an’s requirements if they sacrifice a more modest animal like a chicken.
AFTER THE FIRST PRAYER (9.30h to 10h). After laying down the lamb, with the head turned toward MECCA, and after saying the verses of the Qur’an, the animal’s throat is slit so it bleeds to death. The blood is not kept but it is poured out into the ground. The feast lasts, at least, two whole days and it is usual to give the children new clothes and new shoes. All this means a large monetary drain for the families. Together with the animal’s death there is a large consumption of roasted meat and it is likely that these are the days when the Muslims fill themselves with enormous quantities of proteins. It is usual to provide meat for those who are in need either directly or through known institutions. After performing the main ablution, the Muslim goes to prayer dressed with his best clothes, clean and perfumed. The IMAN conducts the prayer which, exceptionally, is preceded by the seven “Takbir” (saying Allaluh akbar). After the JOTBAT AL AID (it is the word of the feast) the IMAN greets the present members of the community. Finally, the reunion is over and they kiss each other as a token of brotherly union and congratulation for the feast. There is a kind of joy, a delicate scent of flowers, calmness and reminiscences of primitive traits, perennial features and a nobility received as a legacy from a close friend. The feast begins with a live broadcast, in the first hour of the morning, of the sacrifice of a ram at the hands of the king. From that moment all over Morocco, the families get ready to perform the same act with their lambs. The Qur’an sets the rules that must be observed so that the sacrifice is carried out correctly.The feast of the sacrifice requires the head of the household or in his absence, his first-born son (although it is not compulsory), to sacrifice the animal, slitting its throat, to avoid causing any pain (by slashing the knife into the jugular). There shouldn’t be any other lamb present so as to avoid them suffering by watching the slaughter of their predecessor. Before the sacrifice, the mother of the family gives the lamb, flour, salt and water while reciting words of gratitude. The animal’ head must be turned toward MECCA and the spilled blood must be cleaned immediately by the women of the house. Then a cut is made on the back leg and, through the open hole, air is blown inside to inflate the animal, as if it were a balloon. This will facilitate the task of separating the skin from the body. After these tasks are carried out, the animal is hung head down and its abdomen is slit, from top to bottom, to extract the viscera which are immediately put aside and cleaned, with extreme care, by the women. The entrails, turned into brochettes and barbequed, will be consumed the same day of the feast. The meal The celebration ends when the lamb or lambs are consumed and this fact influences everyday life in a particular way. The butcher’s shops stop selling meat so that the butchers can devote themselves exclusively to the slaughter of animals. It is common to see lambs’ hides drying in the sun, or them being taken to specialized places for processing. Many shops, inside and outside the souks, stay closed. There is not any fresh fish because the fishermen don’t go fishing, and this is so until all the meat has been consumed (between three and seven days). |
