In every corner of the African continent, the peoples of the region receive the blessed Eid Al -Adha with a mixture of spirituality and cultural identity, in commemoration of religious rituals and a revival of the heritage of the roots of its details to hundreds of years.
Despite wars, displacement, and tragedies, Muslims on the brown continent do not leave a religious occasion unless they immortalize their rituals, and tried to represent part of its values.
From the deserts of Mali to the forests of Uganda, and from the coastal cities of Zanzibar to the depths of land in Niger, tens of millions of Muslims celebrate Eid al -Adha, which falls on the 10th of Dhu al -Hijjah every year.
Despite the unity of the ritual, and the meaning of the anniversary, every society in Africa immortalizes that occasion in its way that reflects its cultural and social specificity, and it tells part of the course of its history and the formation of its state.
Pre -Eid rituals
On the continent of Africa, the Eid date does not come suddenly. In many societies, the preparation begins a week or more before, where the houses are cleaned, dessert, and people go to the markets and commercial analysts to buy new clothes.
In Mali, children’s clothes are secured days before the feast, and often reflects the traditional costume of society, and the markets and fashion design shops are very crowded during that period.
As for a state Senegal In which Islam represents a rate of more than 95%, and witnesses a strong presence of the Sufi movements with its various stripes, people begin to prepare for Eid al -Adha for a period that may reach months, as the purchase of the sacrifice and its linking in front of the house is a social appearance of the most important features of this occasion.
A few days ago, the Presidency of the Republic in Senegal published pictures of President Pasero Fi wandering inside the livestock market and asking about sheep prices.
In Senegal, and many West African countries, Eid al -Adha is known as “Tabasky”, as it is called in the language of whispering “two chapters of prayer”, that is, the Great prayer.
Eid prayer: The field for everyone
With the sun rises, the crowd flows into the open squares in Nigeria, and the scenes of prayer appear as a huge human painting that shouts with traditional embroidered clothes.
In Ethiopia, the voice of the call to prayer is mixed with the spirituality of local songs, where some imams recite the supplications in languages such as Amharia, Somali and Oromo, and everyone is keen to go out to the squares and playgrounds in which the prayer is organized.
Eid al -Adha is an opportunity to exchange congratulations between Muslims, visit relatives and friends, and to go to entertainment centers, which is an opportunity to spread the discourse of unity, especially in a country suffering from ethnic and sectarian disputes and tendencies.
In Tanzania, people go out to sidewalks, streets and sea, where prayer is performed in all roads, and in the presence of women and children.
Eid fashion
Wearing new clothes in Africa On the occasion of the blessed Eid al -Adha, one of the basic necessities, which is no less valuable than the sacrifice, especially women and children.
And the clothes are not just decorations on the African Eid, but rather a cultural and societal color, as people prefer traditional clothes that reflect their depth and African originality.
In Ghana, “Kenti” women are wearing biomas in vibrant colors inspired by nature, while in Tanzania, men wear the “Chanzo” and women cover their heads with scarves in the colors of the national flag.
In Niger state With various African roots, traditional clothes are the axis of the feast, and draws the image of society and its ethnic and cultural diversity, as the Tuareg and the Arabs wear clothes close to the Mauritanian “shield”, and they wear the “masked desert men”.
As for Nigeria, the embroidered clothes are the main holiday feature, in addition to celebrations, interspersed with a horse show, and gunshots, to excite Enthusiasm.
Tables and dishes
In Africa, no one leaves alone on the day of Eid, as soon as the prayer ends, the feasts begin, the distribution of food, and the exchange of dishes between neighbors and relatives.
In the state of Chad, the “blue dough” dishes are made and a number of traditional meals that characterize the diverse society, and the meat is distributed to neighbors and relatives.
In Côte d’Ivoire, Altiki (a couscous -like meal) is prepared with meat and pepper sauce, while in the Comoros, the people are mastered in preparing fragrant rice with coconut, along with fresh fish dishes.
In general, the meals that are the days of Eid in Africa are not merely food, but rather a sharing act, an extension of the meaning of the sacrifice, and the commemoration and revival of customs and traditions whose roots are due to civilized civilizations.
Children the axis of the feast
Children are the axis of the feast inside the continent of Africa, in their villages and cities alike, where they wear their new clothes early on the morning of Eid and go out to the streets and analysts in tours similar to a display of their new outfits.
In the state of Niger, children lined up to obtain a “Eid” of relatives, and they roam the neighborhoods with local chants.
In Somalia, the clothes of children are overflowing on the day of Eid, and they are racing to show their memorization of the Holy Quran, and they get sweets and rewards.
In Mali, children wear traditional costumes that reflect the depth of society, go out with their families to the chapels, and they will have competitions for memorizing the Qur’an and hadiths, and symbolic prizes are granted in mixing entertainment and education.
Suitable for reconciliation and renewal
The feast is a religious occasion to liquidate hearts, end the estrangement, and deepen the bonds between relatives, especially in rural societies in which the feast carries a deep social dimension.
In the West Africa region, the feast is an opportunity for tolerance, as relatives and friends ask each other to allow, forgive errors, and open a new page of relationships.
In some villages of the State of Burkina Faso, family meetings are held from a long jungle to attend and live with his family and loved ones.
In the state of Côte d’Ivoire, some tribes organize special reconciliation councils in Eid al -Adha The blessed, is headed by the elders and imams of mosques.