Rams and More Rams

Id al Adha is the second great celebration in the Islamic calendar.  It is celebrated in The Gambia using the name Tobaski.  It celebrates the fact that Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son to God and God allowed him to sacrifice a sheep instead. Traditionally the head male of the family will buy a ram and ritually sacrifice the animal in remembrance of the mercy of God.  It is also the time to bring out the fanciest clothes that people have, preferably new ones.  The tailors around the city have all been working overtime to make the new Tobaski clothes. 

But another new thing has crept up around the city -- rams of all shapes and sizes.  Last weekend I was walking down the main drag of Fajara and came upon the Africel headquarters. (one of the phone companies)  They had been advertising Tobaski ram giveaways to random customers.  On Saturday they were giving out rams to some of the prize holders.  There was a large holding pen in the front of the store.

Each winner was presented with his ram and had his picture taken with the ram and being congratulated by an Africel employee. 

Once the picture was taken it was time to take the ram home.  From the rams I saw, they were not particularly willing to go with their new owner, though I am sure they had no inkling of their intended demise.  Here is a ram being dragged down the street to its new owner's car.  Once there the man opened his trunk, unceremoniously dumped the ram in, slammed the trunk shut and drove off.

Below is a random flock of rams that I pass on my way to work.  There is another one at one of the busiest street corners in the country and others throughout the city.  By Sunday there will be no more random flocks around. 

My current plan is to spend Tobaski with my old host family in Mariama Kunda.  Hopefully I will not be there for the slaughtering.  One of the PCVs who has been here awhile is a veterinarian and has been in slaughter houses in the United States.  According to her the sheep in Tobaski have a much more peaceful death than the animals in our slaughter houses.  When sacrificing the animal, they use a sharp knife  (though I am not sure such a thing exists here) and Allah's name is spoken. After the animal is slaughtered, large portions of the meat are given to the needy so that nobody misses out on the celebration. Then meat is given as gifts to friends and relatives and the rest is reserved for the family. The idea of sharing is the what the feast is all about.