Sheep, sheep, cow

On Monday it is Eid El-adha, where the Muslim world will celebrate the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God, before God intervened to provide him with a ram to sacrifice instead (source: Wikipedia. Where else?!) It is the biggest holiday of the year, and it will also mark the 3^rd anniversary for Karim and I in the Islamic calendar. 3 years ago, sitting in a cafe, a Moroccan hotel boy asked a lone Aussie traveller girl to spend this holiday with him and his family. So to be here 3 years later, now married, and being able to celebrate with his family again means a lot to both of us. 

Preparations for the festival are well under way. The streets are filled with stalls selling all the paraphernalia – knives, skewers, grills and charcoal. And there are sheep everywhere! Sheep being dragged through the medina, sheep on motorbikes, sheep in cars, even sheep on donkeys! And on Thursday I was able to see where all these sheep were coming from when I went with Karim, his father and sister to pick out our own sacrificial animals. Traditionally every family kills a sheep, but many families also sacrifice a cow the day before. The more meat the merrier! So we chose a sheep and cow. Though I admit I didn’t have much to do with the choosing. My idea of a nice cow had more to do with colour and pretty eyes. Plus also I knew that if I chose one of the animals then I would personally be condemning it to death! Luckily the animals that were chosen weren’t too pretty, and I have vowed not to get too close to them so that on the day I won’t be upset.

With still a few days before the big event, the cow and sheep have taken up residence in the family home. I have no idea how they got the cow especially up the stairs! They seem happy enough munching on their hay indoors, oblivious of what is to come. There is also a sheep in our apartment building, which stares at me from across the balcony and every time I come up the stairs. And it reminds us of its presence every few minutes with a distressed ‘baa’, especially in the morning when I’m trying to sleep. There will be no love lost when that sheep is sacrificed!

So with the animals purchased, and me with my new jellaba, I am looking forward to the feast on Monday! Now all we need is for it to stop raining – it’s been raining for 3 days straight! I miss the Moroccan sunshine!

Cow market

Cow market

New Sheep being shepherded in

Me holding our sacrificial cow!

Sheep market

The cow and sheep all settled into Karim's family's house

The sheep in our apartment block that never shuts up!