Tabaski, round 2

Last year, (as you may remember reading about here) Tabaski (Eid al-Adha) was my first major Senegalese holiday celebrated with my host family in village. As with all aspects of living here, it was a lot to take in and I spent most of the holiday mildly anxious, wondering what I 'needed' to do, if I was in the right place, wearing the right clothes. After a year and a half in village, celebrating this year was a much easier experience. I can even say I had fun.

This year, Tabaski fell on the 16 of October. In my village, Tabaski lasts about 3 days, but the first day is when the main event happens: the sheep slaughter. The morning is spent with the men at the mosque, and upon their return the animal is sacrificed.

The first meat cooked and eaten is the liver. 

The females spend the morning prepping the only additions to meat we will eat that day: many kilos of onions and potatoes.

The first meal is just meat and onions, eaten with bread, mid morning. 

 

Lunch follows with the only variation being the addition of potatoes (not pictured, apologies). This is all eaten again for dinner. 

The afternoon is when everyone gets dressed up and hangs out with their respective groups of friends from their age group (called fedde in Pulaar). They all bring a bowl from lunch and eat together, drink fancy beverages (soda or juice), make tea, and listen to music. This is the activity that continues for 3 (or more) days. This year I accompanied my host sister to her fedde's hang out on the first day, went to another friends' house for a wedding on the 2nd, and went to greet other village friends on the 3rd day. Given my wide range of friends, it was nice to have the freedom to visit and hang out with many different groups, rather than spend all 3 days of the holidays with one group.

Me in my Tabaski complet with my namesake, baby Hawa Sall: 

It was fun to compare my 2 Tabaski experiences, from last year to this; it's hard to really see how much I've adapted on a daily basis, but the holiday is a very concrete event that can highlight how things have changed. I felt a lot more comfortable with my family and my village, and therefore really enjoyed the celebrations. Last year I thought people would have expectations of me, but really they are just happy I'm there, celebrating with them in whatever capacity I choose to present. And the fact that I can take pictures of them in their fancy Tabaski clothes doesn't hurt my popularity...