Sheep Sheep

     Eid Al Adha is one of the most important religious holidays celebrated by Muslims worldwide. It is a 2-3 day feast of sacrifice which concludes the pilgrimage to Mecca. The purpose of this religious holiday is to celebrate the faith and obedience of Abraham, as well as to celebrate the provision and mercy of God.
     To test his faith, Abraham was called by God to sacrifice his son. Muslims believe that the son called to be sacrificed was Ishmael rather than Isaac (as the story is told in the Old Testament). Regardless, both the Q'ran and the Bible agree that Abraham willingly stepped up to sacrifice his son, and that God mercifully provided a goat or a lamb at the last moment to be sacrificed instead.

     This year, Eid Al Adha begins on October 26. Muslims prepare in the weeks leading up to the Eid by buying a sheep so that they may slaughter it in remembrance of God's mercy. Sheep are literally everywhere!

photo credit: CR

     There are also hundreds of temporary markets set up where you can buy hay to feed your sheep; as well as charcoal, grills, and tagine pots in order to prepare for the slaughtering day. Sheep are piled into cars, carried on mopeds, or stuffed into carts so that they can be transported to a safe place leading up to the slaughtering day. Some families who don't have a yard in which to keep their sheep opt to keep their sheep on their balconies or roof terrace. Landlords with vacant apartments will sometimes charge fees to "rent" their apartment to families who need an area to store their sheep. When the slaughtering day finally arrives, the streets of Casablanca will be lined with sheep heads waiting to be cleaned up.

     While the traditional symbolism behind Eid Al Adha is honorable to both Muslims and Christians alike, the holiday has largely become commercialized around the world (Much like Christmas is to American Christians). This is an excellent article which outlines exactly what Eid Al Adha looks like today in Morocco.
    Because Morocco is such an "honor vs. shame" culture, so many Muslims feel that it would be shameful to be caught without a sheep to slaughter for the Eid Al Adha. Many families will spend more than a months wages on a good sheep simply to maintain their "honor" amongst their family and friends. Or, they take out a loan that they typically cannot afford to pay back simply to buy their sheep.

    This year, we chose to help several Muslim families financially so that they would not be so burdened by the extreme expense of a sheep. We hope that this financial peace will allow them to focus on the holiday's significant and true symbolism: That God provided a sacrifice.

-David & Nicole