Tabaski

 Tabaski is the two-day Islamic holiday that occurs each year 70 days after the feast of Ramadan. This year it was November 17 & 18. It celebrates the biblical story of Abraham, who was willing to sacrifice his only son, Ishmael to God. Seconds before Abraham lowered his knife, God turned Ishmael into a golden rod and thus Ishmael’s life was spared. On Tabaski, Muslim families who can afford it slaughter a sheep to commemorate the sacrifice Abraham was willing to make as a symbol of faith.

My Tabaski experience in Niger was sort of like a combination of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas all in one. The morning started early, as usual, but with an unusual amount of hustle and bustle. Everyone greeted each other, “Barka da Salla!”, happy holiday!

Sharifa and several of her cousins were around in the morning, showing off their new outfits and hair braids (a mixture of western and traditional Niger styles) to each other and to Shelly and me. When kids say “barka da salla” it works as a sort of “trick or treat”—you’re supposed to give money or candy. Naturally, Sharifa wished us happy holidays several times throughout the day.

 My friend and fellow PCT Jorie Aldrich, with several kids on Tabaski

Around 8:30AM Sharifa and some other neighborhood girls lead us to the place of prayer outside the village. Shelly and I found the other anasaras (what Nigeriens call all white people) and lingered in the back. The atmosphere and interactions between people reminded me a lot of what Christmas mass is like in the States. Tons of people gathered together for religious worship and also socialization. You can sense everyone checking out their neighbor’s new clothes, greeting distant relatives who are in for the holiday, and making mental notes of all the cooking that needs to happen once the service is over.

After the morning prayer, people hurried home to slaughter their sheep and begin cooking. Unfortunately, my family was too poor to afford a sheep. However, this did not stop us from constantly being offered meat! The Koran dictates that families who can afford to slaughter a sheep should eat one third, give another third to friends, and share the other third with those who are too poor to afford their own.

Roommate Shelly and me, dressed up for Tabaski

I did not have a chance to witness the sheep slaughtering or cook preparation, but everything I tasted was delicious. The first day of Tabaski is dedicated mostly to eating the insides, which are often prepared in a stew or fried (obviously I loved this). The body of the sheep is placed near an open fire and smoked for several hours. Amazing. 

  Tabaski sheep being cooked