The title for this blog was taken from a newspaper headline in Senegal last year. The event in which it then went on to describe was... Tabaski! Tabaski, also known as the 'Festival of Sacrifice', is one of the most important festivals in the Islamic calendar. It commemorates the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his only son Ishmael at the command of Allah, and how Allah then replaced Ishmael with a sheep. There was no mistaking that Tabaski was coming up as I'm pretty sure I saw at least 500 sheep in the weeks before Tabaski. There were sheep ontop of every and any type of vehicle as the father of every household goes out to buy one for the big day. This festival definitely has a unique vibe and excitement about it. |
This was the order of my first ever Tabaski! 8am- The men go to pray 9am- The killing of the sheep and then the men did the BBQ and the women prepared the rest of the meal 12am- Time for the first lunch of sheep, saucy onions and chips! 1pm- Second lunch at a friends house 4pm- Third lunch back at the house 5pm- Fourth lunch at a friends house 6pm- Time to get dressed into your Mboubous (Senegalese dresses) and go round to visit your neighbours for the evening! |
Below is a poem I wrote for fun to describe the events on the night before Tabaski... (it will show you the glamorous side to this Islamic festival)