Harmony In Setif, Algeria

Today was Eid, the day after the last day of Ramadan. Just wanted to give you a rundown of what we did and some things about the day to give some insight to the traditions of this holiday.

First, nearing the end of Ramadan, you hear firecrackers going off here and there. The igniting of firecrackers are multiplied on Eid. Makes me a little nervous, since you will find small, unsupervised children lighting them.

All morning we could hear the Mosque calls. Many more than usual.

Actually, this Eid is referred to as the little Eid. The big Eid is in about 10 weeks time, when they kill the lamb.

One tradition for today is for all the children to have a new set of clothes and shoes to wear. And for adults too. But the emphasis on the kiddies.

In the morning the children are carted around to thier aunts and uncles and grandparents homes to visit and collect money, candies and cookies.

Today, we had a nice lunch with MIL and FIL and extended family(we live in a family villa). They served Eye-eesh, a tomatoe based soup with dried lamb meat. Very tastey!

At around 3pm, the whole family came around for cookies, milk and coffee. Which we all congregated in the dining room/living room to consume. The men sat at the dining room table as us ladies sat in the comfy chairs in the living room. All the cousins played outside. Usual conversation on the women’s side included talk about the hair stylist’s we all go to, thier pricing and quality of hair coloring, cooking, and the children’s school. Typical topics of discussion. No political talk there.

Afterward, everyone parts and I scramble back to MIL’s kitchen to snake some leftovers from lunch, after taking care of my little ones. But, then, I am so so full. Can barely eat another thing! And hubby is off visiting friends.

And now I am here, surfing the net, and composing this post.

Below are some pics of the cookies my SILs prepared:

… and some chocolates.

Hope you all are enjoying your Eid 2007!

Yes, us folks in Algeria have one more day of Ramadan to look forward to. Saudi Arabia is celebrating Eid tomorrow, however. Why is there a difference, you ask? Well, some very well skilled individuals watch very carefully for the first sight of of a waxing crescent moon the last days of Ramadan. When they see the crescent, in their country, that is the last day of Ramadan. And Eid will take place the following day. And believe me the act of waiting for news either way, keeps everyone on his/her toes. Not only will it be a relief to feast as you like, but all the preparation that goes into Eid. The cooking, cleaning, women needing thier hair done at the coiffure(hair stylist). Today was a very busy day out at the shops. So, I suppose they will all have a good rest tomorrow. Being Friday, when many businesses are usually closed, it will surely be a long day.

Anyway, may you all have a splendid Eid and eat lots and lots of wonderful cookies for me.

Technorati Tags: Algeria, Eid, Ramadan, Lunar, Moon, Crescent

Muslims in Baltimore assisting the community with food, clothes and health screenings at annual Humanitarian Day.

Read full article here.

Technorati Tags: Ramadan, Muslims, Baltimore, Humanitarian Day