We have just had another Eid celebration here in the Gulf - another five day public holiday affair about a month after Ramadan's Eid al-Fitr that was also five days long. Unfortunately, except for the National Day coming up on Dec 18, there are no other public holidays to look forward to in the year. There will now be a long stretch to the next one after Ramadan next year. Thank goodness Christmas will fall on Friday this year which means we will be able to celebrate as usual - can't imagine spending Christmas day just like any other day - and seeing Patrick off to work would really make me feel like I have slipped down the hole into Alice's Wonderland.
This Eid celebration is all about commemoration of the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God. Today, it is almost a week long festivity of time with family, meals with family and friends, and being thankful for the good things in life. It always occurs at the same time as the pilgrims conducting Hajj descend from Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia.
One of the common events and sights to see around the Middle East at this time are the daily sacrifices of lamb, goat and chicken, as people go about doing what Abraham did. Some of these occur alongside the roads for all to see - can't imagine anything worse. Here is the evidence, I really am telling the truth. The newspapers reported that things had got so out of hand in Saudi in recent years, that the authorities had set up specific sites where everyone could go in order to sacrifice their animal - sounds like an equivalent to a drive-through fast food service, but not for the faint of heart.
We beat a hasty retreat from the country during this time so we are relieved to say that we saw nothing of this celebration.
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