Beautiful Egypt 25 – Eid Al Adha – October, 15, 2013

   Few days ago, our country celebrated the fortieth anniversary of the glorious victory of October 1973; days and joys are joined with Eid al Adha feast (Feast of the Sacrifice), which is celebrated on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah – after the day of Arafa – until 13th of the same month. We wish a happy feast to all our Muslim brethren.

   In Eid al Adha, people recall the difficult test to which Abraham, the friend of God, was put, when God asked him to offer his son as a sacrifice. When he obeyed God to the fullest, God brought him a lamb ready to be slaughtered instead of Abraham’s son, and thus, he became a symbol of obedience and of offering God all what is precious and dear.

    In As Saaffaat Sura, verse 107, we read: “And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice” I.e. a ransom here is given to release somebody after being captive.

   Preparations for the Eid begin after Eid al-Fitr celebrations, the able may buy the “sheep of the feast”, and tie it near the house, attaching a white, red and green colored band or stripe to its neck, as a reference to its preparation for the day of slaughtering in particular.

   After the feast prayer, sacrifices are slaughtered in accordance with verse 2 of Al-Kawthar Sura: “So pray to your Lord and sacrifice”. After sacrificing, a portion of the sacrifices meat is distributed among the poor and the needy, as verse 28 of Al Hajj Sura obliges: “So eat of them and feed the miserable and poor” A portion is given to relatives and friends, while the rest is kept to be eaten in the feast days.

   Among the festivities of the feast, people may break their fast on Fattah with rice and sacrifice meat, visit relatives, wear new clothes, and give Eidia (money gift) to children.

Eid al Adha Festivities in Countries

   All the family members gather in the paterfamilias’ house – which is typically the grandfather or grandmother – then they felicitate the relatives. Visits are exchanged among the families, acquaintances and friends.

In Morocco

   Many families insist on bringing the lamb home on the day of Arafa, thinking it a good omen to the family. Henna (dye for skin) is put on the lamb’s head or back, and children enjoy this inherited tradition.

   They wear their Moroccan traditional costume; the white Jilbab, the Balgha (traditional slippers) and red Tarboush (fez), and they keep on wearing it along the feast day.

   The tajine bread is cooked for lunch. Among the famous dishes cooked in the feast are sweet Mrouzia, cooked with the remaining bones, sugar, almonds and raisins, Bekbouka dish which is prepared from tripe stuffed with liver, lungs, intestines and meat cooked with steamed rice. Jerky is one of the common dishes and Zayalah, which is kept to cook Couscous on Ashura day. Among the fixed inherited traditions of the feast is to allocate a portion of the meat of the sacrifice to the bride if a family member is engaged.

In Algeria

   In the capital, wrestling matches between the lambs are organized before the feast. Two lambs wrestle each other with heads in front of an audience, and the winner is which obliges the other to give in. Although the authorities do not prefer this tradition, yet it still has an overwhelming popularity among the Algerians. Children organize wrestling matches among the lambs bought by their families. Hennah is obviously put on the hands and legs of both adults and children, who claim “Hennah is from paradise!”

In Tunisia

   Each family waits for the butcher to slaughter the sacrifice, they spread salt on the sacrifice’s blood in order to expel the evil and devil away from its passersby. The main dish in the feast is Couscous and meat, other dishes are sweet Maraka, Sharmula, Salted Whale, Qallaya and Grilled Salade.

In Libya

   It is thought there that the lamb to be sacrificed will be ridden by the person who bought it towards the paradise on the Doomsday, and that it is a gift for God, so the lamb shall be a strong faultless healthy good one with long horns. Women put kohl (eyeliner) to the lamb and burn incense in the house. Children organize wrestling matches among the lambs. Among the famous dishes: Usban and Qallaya.

In Sudan

   The procession of the feast is held on the day of Arafa, in the presence of senior city officials accompanied by folk music, and children roam in this procession announcing the arrival of the feast. At homes, so-called Taiman incense is burnt; it is a mixture of frankincense, Agarwood and other herbs. After the Eid prayer, they go to the neighborhood’s houses to felicitate them, then they eat Asida at their homes; it is a mixture of flour, water and dried okra ground with minced meat; until the slaughter is finished. The Sudanese table is characterized by special dishes, such as: Al Mafrok; it is fresh vegetables scraped and added to the soup or sauce and served with special bread called Kasra and dates as a basic dessert. Dates can be dried, wet, and compressed as well as dates Madida, made from cooked dates.

In Saudi Arabia

   The people and visitors of Mecca begin their celebrations of the Pilgrimage Manasik on the day of Arafa. While in the rest of the kingdom, traditions vary from a place to another. Some innovations appear, like making an artificial sheep to be hanged on the house door, buying chocolates on the form of a sheep. In the central area, popular dishes are nearly similar as they all have wheat and meat or wheat and dates.

The meal of breaking their fast is Humis, which is cooked of small pieces of meat, liver, kidney, heart and large quantity of onions, tomatoes and spices. Meat Kabsa and Mahshoush are also made with small pieces of fat, Qorsan and Garish which consists of meat, cracked wheat and milk. In the north, the feast dishes are Mataziz and Haris, while the desserts are Kleicha of Ha’il, legumes and dates. While in the east, eastern Haris dish is the most popular, as well as Yufka bread. Desserts include Assida, Kleicha and Mamrous. As for the western region, it is popular with Dibyaza dried fruits and Jalebi.

In Palestine

   The feast is celebrated by prayer, and visiting the graves as an inherited tradition. Among the feast desserts are Ma’mol, Mutabbak and Ghoriba, families cook Musakhan: fried chicken and rice.

In Iraq:

   The feast is the only occasion awaited for by all families to rejoice and meet in; mostly, some families share in one sacrifice; they eat Kleicha, Ma’mol with its different stuffings, drink tea accompanied by some pieces of dessert, as well as Turkish delight or Masqoul.

In Kuwait

   In the past, the feast was celebrated along a full week, yet this is changed now. After the prayer and offering the sacrifices, the paterfamilias distributes the meat among the poor and the relatives. Then they go out to the parks, public gardens and entertainment cities.

In Syria

   Visits are exchanged at the morning, while the evening is spent at home, resting, watching TV and talking. The most famous Syrian dish of the Eid is Tasqiya; Fettah cooked with margarine or oil, and Shakeriya.

   In the Eid, the drink served to visitors is the Arabian Coffee called “the bitter coffee”. At the evenings, they eat Hilattiya, Ma’mol with pistachio and dates. Two days before the Eid, they make Kahk, in contrary of other countries which make Kahk in Eid al Fitr only.

In Yemen

   Before the Eid comes, the houses are restored and the old ones are painted to be ready for receiving the feast, travelers return to ensure strong family ties there. After the prayer, the relatives visit each other, and in some provinces they go out for hunting using firearms to teach their children aiming. It is an original custom for a child to kiss his grandfather’s forehead and knees when they meet in the Eid, as a reference to the young’s respect to the adult. They are interested in visiting the oldest family member first, then the younger one, then the younger, wedding ceremonies are held frequently.

   At breakfast, they eat Kahk that is associated with the Eid in general; whether it is Eid la Fitr or Eid al Adha. Lunch includes Zerobian, it is a dish of meat and rice with raisins and potatoes, and also Spagia; a mixture of flour, eggs, margarine and honey, as well as the Saltah, which is cooked from fenugreek and leek, with a little quantity of rice and a mixture of spices dissolved in vinegar and water, served a special bread called malug. At the evenings, people watch television programs, drink Yemeni tea, and eat the Eid fruits.

In Jordan

   Breakfast includes beans, falafel and homus with tahina, while the lunch is the sheep’s liver stuffed with parsley and garlic, cut into slices and put in the oven. Besides, Mansaf Bedouin dish is also cooked: rice served with meat boiled with labneh.

In Oman

   Arsia is the main dish: it is made of white rice, lamb and chicken, vinegar, raisin and cactus are added, as well as small pieces of lamb’s liver spiced.

In Indonesia

   The president distributes the sacrifices meat among those of low-income and the poor for free. At the countryside, the family gathers at the parents’ house to eat the meat after returning from Eid prayer directly. While, in the capital, Jakarta, lunch is limited to be eaten at restaurants.

In Thailand

   Families wake up all night of the Eid to prepare the dessert to be served to the visitors. One of the most famous types is Tom; cooked from sweet rice mixed with coconut in the rolled banana leaf. People put on perfumes before going out to pray wearing their new national dresses. Men wear the traditional costume of Sarong and Malaya. After prayer, everyone shakes hands and goes to slaughter the sacrifices, then to the graves to visit the dead, then to the parks and beaches. One of the most famous dishes is Kang Masamat; meat with spices and coconut, served with bread or unleavened bread.

In Pakistan

   The sacrifice is adorned before being slaughtered for up to a whole month, as a kind of celebration. It is a tradition to fasting for the first ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah month until the day of the Eid. They eat dates at breakfast, and meat as a basic dish in lunches.

In China

   Kidnapping the Lamb game is the most important festivity of the feast; one rides his horse at full speed behind the sheep to pick it up without falling from the horse’s back, and the game ends with him who took the least time to kidnap the lamb as a winner.

In Malaysia

   The Eid is called “the Feast of Sacrifices”. Celebration begins with the Royal Seals Holder, the Judge of Judges’ declaration.

   The members of one family are keen to be present on the day of Eid in the family home, and they all witness the slaughter of the sacrifice, which is typically a cow, the rich set up banquets for all the village people.

   They wear the traditional outfit known as Baju Melayu: a set of shirt and trousers called seluar above which Songket is wrapped. The Malaysian cap  Soconco is put.

In Egypt

   The Eid has a special feature of joy, the streets and squares of Egypt turn into fields for selling the sacrifices, they get adorned to make their image joyful and to let people cheerful. Egyptians’ main popular dish in the feast is Roqaq (tortillas), it is baked and sold in local bakeries. Everyone has breakfast on meat and fettah. The Eid is also an opportunity for wedding celebrations; and thus, the joys of weddings and feast are mixed together, The River Nile plays a prominent role in adding beauty to the joy of the feast. Masses of people are crowded happily to spend their time enjoying the immortal Nile. In governorates and the countryside, the festivities are less than there in the cities where families only visit and felicitate each other, and children get the Eidia from their parents and relatives to buy toys and sweets.

   May all good, happiness and stability be achieved to Egypt; its people, army, police and leaders. May God keep Egypt safe and protect it from all evil, as stories about it never end!

The General Bishop

Head of Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center