The Silence of the Rams (The Tabaski Special)

It is picture time! Happy New Year and Happy Tabaski to everyone back home.


Our front yard in Blendio with our recently completed gwa (grass hangar) and children at the gate staring at us.










And our backyard with a view out to the soccer/balontan field in the distance.












Living in Africa is all about improvising: Michele missed putting a star on the top of a tall tree, so here is the other Michele giving her the opportunity to put a star on a tall tree.










A view of one of the tall mosque towers at dusk in Sikasso.












Malian pants are the best. Here is how we have clothes made in Mali: we go fabric shopping and then hand the fabric over to a tailor to make whatever we want. The pants here are so damn comfortable - everytime I go I get several pairs made. This is an example of some of the fabrics that I have recently made into pants (I freakin love my fish pants!)






Yes, kids, Santa does visit Africa.













A day before Tabaski, the last holiday of the year in Islam. People have been hoarding the nicest looking rams for the festivities that start soon. I don't think the rams know what's coming.










We spent Tabaski with a Peace Corps friend, another Michele in the town of Kouro. It is only about 700 people large, so we definitely stuck out(http://www.michelelehman.blogspot.com)

Group prayer on the first morning of the 2 day holiday.








Michele and Michele in their conservative prayer clothing.












The first sacrifice of the day. Several men hold the ram down so it doesn't thrash too much. Hundreds of rams were sacrificed across the village over the next few hours and after that the BBQ began. As the guests of honor everyone kept giving us more meat than we knew what to do with - we ended up giving about 10 kilos away to other people.



















The thrashing....













And the skinning....













The Tabaski balontan match, green shirts (single men) versus non-green shirts (married men); I didn't play so I don't know which shirt I would wear.