Just A Little Different

     We’ve told you this story before (here, here, and here). At the time, we had embraced our Eid Al Adha adventure with the mindset that it was a once-in-a-lifetime cultural experience. In the end, we were even content knowing that we had “suffered” through such a foreign/strange experience once and would not have to do it again.

     We had no idea that when we made plans to travel far away from the Eid last year (to Ceuta), that we would leave our landlord genuinely heartbroken. He didn’t understand why we would choose to leave his family during such a critical holiday and insisted that we change our plans. We could not… but we realized that we would not be able to make this same mistake ever again. We are considered his “family” and, therefore, we have an obligation to celebrate the Eid with them for as long as we are here.

     For the longest time, Nicole had such a bad attitude about this “obligation”.  She dreaded the thought of being separated into two different houses again, being surrounded by people who didn’t speak English, being forced to eat sheep liver kebobs, etc.. Dave was sympathetic to these concerns; and he was also not very enthusiastic about eating sheep liver.

But then we realized that we needed to change our perspective.

& we realized that Eid Al Adha is not really so strange….it's just a little different.

     To help you to visualize this new perspective, allow us to tell you two stories; starting with one that is likely more familiar to you.

Story #1:

     A few weeks before the celebration is set to commence, a family scouts for the perfect tree. It has to be the biggest and most beautiful in order to compete with all of the other trees framed within the windows of their neighbors’ houses.  Finally, they find it. The tree is strapped hazardously onto the top of their small sedan and they drive home, feeling both excited and proud to show it off. 

     The tree is placed carefully in water, in an effort to maintain its health throughout the holiday season. It, alongside the rest of the house, is generously decorated. The family has been saving their pennies for the entire year in anticipation of this big event and everything has to be perfect. Knowing this, all of the stores have been overstocked for months in an effort to tempt their customers with all of the makings of a “perfect” commercialized Christmas: lights, decorations, wrapping paper, etc..  Likewise, the streets are lined with decorations, lights, and Santa figurines. The true meaning of the holiday (The virgin birth of Jesus Christ) is hidden behind the commercialism somewhere….but it is, unfortunately, hard to see.

     On Christmas Eve, the family double-checks to ensure that the tree is still beautiful, presents are wrapped, and everything is ready for the next day.  They run to the store to pick up a few last-minute supplies that they forgot, knowing that everything will be closed Christmas day.  The lines are astronomically long, but they persevere and get everything that they need.

     The next morning, everyone wakes up excited that Christmas is finally here. There is so much that they have been looking forward to….and this holiday only comes once a year!  The family’s’ relatives have traveled across the country just to be with them for this special day. “Merry Christmas” is exchanged with every greeting. Everyone gathers around the tree to commence the celebration…but inwardly they are having the hardest time containing their excitement about feasting on their favorite annual treats: Christmas cookies and homemade pies. They open the presents under the tree, and then rush to the kitchen in order to prepare the big feast. The entire day is the perfect balance of family fellowship and good food.  

    The evening finally concludes with a  surprise: a group of carolers arrive on the family's doorstep singing traditional Christmas songs. One of the singers is dressed to represent the familiar icon of the holiday: Santa Clause. They are wearing a red suit and a fake white beard hangs around their chin.

Story #2:

    A few weeks before the celebration is set to commence, a family scouts for the perfect sheep. It has to be the biggest and most beautiful in order to compete with all of the other sheep tied to the balconies of their neighbors’ houses.  Finally, they find it. The sheep is stuffed hazardously into the trunk of their small sedan and they drive home, feeling both excited and proud to show it off. 

     The sheep is offered plenty of water and food, in an effort to maintain its health throughout the pre-holiday season. The family has been saving their pennies for the entire year in anticipation of this big event and everything has to be perfect. Knowing this, all of the stores have been overstocked for months in an effort to tempt their customers with all of the makings of a “perfect” commercialized Eid: refrigerators, charcoal grills, kabob sticks, and butchering knives. Likewise, the streets are lined with tagine pots, charcoal, and hay for the sheep. The true meaning of the holiday (Recognizing God’s provision of a sheep sacrifice instead of allowing Abraham to sacrifice his own son) is hidden behind the commercialism somewhere….but it is, unfortunately, hard to see.

     On the eve of the Eid, the family double-checks to ensure that the sheep is still healthy and that everything is ready for the next day.  They run to the store to pick up a few last-minute supplies that they forgot, knowing that everything will be closed on the day of the Eid.  The lines are astronomically long, but they persevere and get everything that they need.

     The next morning, everyone wakes up excited that the Eid is finally here. There is so much that they have been looking forward to….and this holiday only comes once a year!  The family’s’ relatives have traveled across the country just to be with them for this special day. “Mubarek L’Eid” is exchanged with every greeting. Everyone gathers around the sheep to commence the celebration…but inwardly they are having the hardest time containing their excitement about feasting on their favorite annual treats: heart, lung, and liver kabobs wrapped in intestinal fat.  They slaughter the sheep, ensuring that everything is halal, and then rush to the kitchen in order to prepare the big feast. The entire day is the perfect balance of family fellowship and good food.

     The evening finally concludes with a  surprise: a group of men arrive on the family's doorstep chanting traditional Moroccan music in celebration of the holiday. One of the singers is dressed to represent the familiar icon of the holiday: the sheep. They are wearing the bloody skin of the sheep that was slaughtered that morning.


Not so strange after all.... it's just a little different.

Happy Holidays

Said was so proud to have such a beautiful sheep, and to have Dave there to help him slaughter it

8.25 months pregnant with our family's giant sheep

-Dave & Nicole