Customs have changed over time Eid: Then and now [Archives:2003/07/Reportage]

BY ISMAEL AL-GHABIRY
YEMEN TIMES STAFF
Social bonding bringing joy to the hearts of children and gatherings throughout the day and night are a few of the pleasures of Eid al-Adha.
As Muslims annually celebrate Eid al-Adha, the festival of Sacrifice which starts on the third day of the pilgrimage, they share their happiness with family and friends. Hospitality is the hallmark of this celebration.
People, of course, differ in the dishes served, differ from region to region and even from household to household. These differences can be attributed to the observers’ national and regional affiliations.
One constant feature of this Eid and Eid al-Fitr, which follows Ramadan, is the serving of coffee or tea upon entering homes. This is usually followed by the tasty ma’mul (pronounced ma’mool) or what is known as Eid cakes. Throughout the Arab world, these pie-like cookies are a favorite of children and adults alike.
In Yemen the social and culinary traditions associated with Eid al Adhah, have evolved over time. However, there is one tradition that has survived the tides of time throughout Arabia and the Muslim world. In accordance with Islamic doctrines, those who have the means, sacrifice an animal on Eid al-Adha.
The meat of the sacrifice is divided into three parts. One is given to the poor, the other to neighbors and the third portion is kept for one’s family. Thus, meat and rice dishes are often served to family and friends during this Eid either for lunch or dinner.
Yemenis throughout often reminisce about the past and cherish their memories of a simpler way of life. They remember a time when celebrations of this festival were a unique occasion.
Special attention is given to children during this time. Not only do they get new clothes, gifts and money, but they are also taken on trips to amusement parks, large toy stores, and to the beach.
These outings are not a new pastime as one might think. In the western province, for instance, fathers took their children to a site outside the village or town, or watch men dancing with daggers or other weapons. The dancing varied in each group according to the nationality of the participants. Entrepreneurs profited from the festivities by setting up swings and seesaws for the children.
For family
In the summer, a favorite activity for those who picnicked at the farms was swimming in spring-fed pools. Men, who enjoyed the sea, took long fishing trips, which lasted for two or three days.
In those days, people in the western province enjoyed dishes other than the Eid specialties prevalent nowadays. They greeted guests by serving refreshments such as fruit juices and rose or almond syrup diluted in water and sweetened with sugar.
Callers also had coffee or tea with a cardamom-flavored cookies called Kalayjah, instead of Ma’mul. Many are fond of eating the readymade rahash, a delicious and rich, golden-hued sweet made of sesame-seed meal and sugar.
This sweet is still known in the Arab world as halawah tahiniyyah.
Children used to dip their hands into bowls full of multicolored chick-peas coated with sugar, instead of chocolate with sugar, or chocolates, and the sugar-coated almonds consumed with great pleasure during Eid and throughout the year nowadays. Little boys and girls went around their neighborhood, extending to their elders the Eid greeting, “I dukum Mubarak” and they received coins or what is now known as “idiyyah”.
To celebrate this Eid, in Makkah there is a grand, festive style. But in other parts of the Western province, especially in the major cities, the essence of Eid is in the visits the celebrants paid to each other.
For the duration of the festival, visits were exchanged and if a host had to go away, he left a note pad for callers to write down their names. This saved their time and relieved them the duty of paying another visit. It also helped the absent host reciprocate visits.
Open doors welcomed visitors all day long, and many enjoyed drinking pomegranate, grape or lemon juice along with coffee and tea. In those bygone days, women did not have wooden molds and formed ma’mul into cookies as large as the palm of the hand. They decorated the cookie using the minqash, a jagged-edged tong-like device, made of cooper or silver.
Children enjoy
Young men helped their fathers in serving refreshments. These youths also participated in the last hospitality ritual. Children, in particular, looked forward to the Eid, as parents and relatives took special pleasure in making the youngsters happy. Large, colorful, round palm-frond trays and mafattat were heaped with nuts, sweets and coins.
These trays were thrown into the air to land at the children’s feet, who vied with each other to get as much candy and money as they could. Children also received silver riyals, which they spent in the following days.
In the afternoon, fathers took there children to playgrounds set up especially for this occasion. The children spent many hours on the ferris wheels and swings. They went on pony and donkey rides and had cotton candy and other sweets as they romped in play.
Nowadays Eid gatherings and outings include visits to amusement parks, toy stores and malls throughout Yemen’s regions, plus outings to beaches and chalets along with groups of family and friends.
Another favorite excursion for those with a love for camping, is spending the whole holiday in the desert, tending barbecues and campfires. In all, Eid still retains its festive flavor. It offers a welcome chance to relax and enjoy the company of others.
As the days of Eid pass by in a round pleasure and festivity, many bid farewell to the two favorite parts of the year for Muslims: the Haj and Eid.

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