After Tabaski

In Mali last week (December 8 to 10), we celebrated the religious holiday, Tabaski. Like most Malians, we had been anticipating and preparing for the holiday for the past few weeks. Unlike most Malians, we did not plan well enough in advance to have new 'complets' (outfits with a matching top and bottom) made especially for the event, but we did wear traditional Malian clothing. During our visit to the market the weekend before the holiday, we bought tea, sugar, and candies to give to our hosts as holiday gifts. Since we have access to a gas oven (at the PC bureau in Kayes), I made snicker doodle cookies for my homologue, Zenabou, and the families in her concession (her immediate neighbors) as well as for the family of one of Steve's co-workers, Awa. In Kayes, it is rare to find any sort of cake like dessert. Also, our local language tutor, Labas, taught us some 'blessings' in Bambara. (In Mali, it is extremely common to throw out blessings for any and every occasion. For example, after every purchase it is common to bless the vendor, 'Ala ka sugu diya' 'May God increase your market.')

During the week preceding the holiday, my homologue was especially busy. As the female head of the household, her expectations were many. First and foremost, it was her responsibility to prepare the children for the holiday. She must buy or have made new complets for the children. She must make sure the boys have new hair cuts and the girls have new braids. In addition, it was her responsibility to plan, buy ingredients, and prepare the meals for the entire three days of the holiday.

We were at Zenabou's house for lunch the day before the first day of the holiday. After lunch, Zenabou announced that she still must buy the sheep for her family. (It is tradition during Tabaski that every family make the sacrifice of a sheep, if not another animal (perhaps a chicken) according to the family's financial means.)

First Day of Tabaski

On the first day of Tabaski, we arrived at Zenabou's concession around 9:00 or 10:00 in the morning; we realized we were right on time. Upon arrival, the five or six families in Zenabou's concession were already hard at work. All of the men and even the boys were in the middle of preparing the sheep, while all of the women were in the middle of preparing the breakfast for the morning. I enjoyed observing the gendered work. Of course, Steve was invited to help with the sheep, but politely declined... there was a lot of blood. As for our family's sheep, it was prepared by Zenabou's brother and two sons. It was the first one finished. Sitting in a circle together, we watched Zenabou and her brother divide the different parts of the sheep (for our family and to bring to his). In English, to be discreet, Steve and I tried to identify each of the parts of the sheep. We ate the liver for breakfast.

Like many holidays I have observed in the States, the women were busy the entire day preparing the meals. I rarely got a chance to chat with Zenabou or any of the other women in her concession due to the chaos of meal preparation. (In Mali, all cooking is typically done over either a wood or charcoal fire, therefore requiring constant attention.) I did however get the chance to spend time with the children. We strategically brought two decks of cards to entice the children to play '151' with us (our favorite Malian card game). It worked! Immediately after Zenabou's youngest son had completed his work, he rushed over to play with us. In no time at all, all of the children were by our side. With Aisha, I played a regular 9-year-old girl's game of patty-cake, while she sang the chant in Bambara. With the other girls, we threw butter scotch candy wrappers (that we had brought) into the air and let them fall on us as we pretended it was 'l'argent' (money). I also did my fair share of tickling.

After an afternoon of playing around with the kids, we finally ate lunch around 3:00 in the afternoon (late lunches are not atypical). On Malian holidays, it is also not atypical for each of the women in a concession to prepare a different meal so that all families can share with all the other families. Of course, we were given three different lunches from three different women. First, we ate the ribs of the sheep with a barbecue-like sauce and french fries. Second, we ate 'zamay' or fried rice, vegetables, and sheep (Zenabou's contribution). (Actually, 'zamay' is a traditional Senegalese dish, but one can find several variations of it all over Mali. With fish, it is arguably Steve and I's favorite dish in Mali.) At this point during lunch, we were absolutely full. We gave our blessings to the chefs, 'A barika.' And luckily, we were told we could bring our last lunch dish of vermicelli and sheep home with us to eat later that night.

Next, we biked across town to Awa's house, one of Steve's co-workers. We arrived at Awa's house around 3:00 or 4:00 in the afternoon. During the days of the holiday, it is extremely common to travel to one another's houses (family, neighbors, co-workers, etc.) just to greet and wish them a good holiday. Unfortunately, so late in the afternoon, Awa was the only member of the family still at home, her husband and sons were all out greeting. We sat in her living room, just the three of us. (I enjoy spending time with Awa because she is very patient with our language skills.) We brought pictures of our family and friends to show her. We also brought some of the snicker doodle cookies. She told us that she had seen cakes like these before only in Bamako and Egypt. (Unlike most Malians we have encountered who have never left Mali, Awa has studied abroad in Egypt.) She ate three cookies in a row before hiding the rest to keep for herself. After some conversation in the living room, we were presented with yet another meal, a plate of liver and onions. (In Mali, it can be considered rude to turn down food.) I was so full I could only eat one bite, while Steve ate a few more to make it look like we had made an attempt. After yet again another lunch, we congregated outside for some tea. Since Steve was the only male present, he was in charge of the tea's preparation. The first pot was on the heat a little too long and turned out a little too strong, but we all drank it anyway. During tea time, some of Awa's sons started coming back home. Of course, they are all in love with Steve. He was greeted with hugs and secret handshakes. Just before dusk, it was time to say our farewells so that we could begin our bicycle ride home .

Second Day of Tabaski

Over the past few months, we have formed a relationship with our neighbors, Vieux and Djiveril. We drink tea with them often and bought tea to give them for the holiday. On the second day of Tabaski, we had tea with them in the late afternoon after our language class. To our surprise, they invited us over for lunch the next day. Apparently, they were saving a second sheep to slaughter together on the third day of Tabaski. According to Djiveril, they bought the second sheep this year so that it could be prepared the way they liked it (the women not the men typically decide the menu for the other meals).

Third Day of Tabaski

We were to meet at Vieux's house at 10:00 in the morning. Because Steve's stomach was not agreeing with him, I went alone. Although we had drank tea outside of Vieux's house many times, it was my first time inside his house. I greeted the crowd of women who were outside cooking and was directed toward one of the cement dwellings close by. I pushed my way through the sheer curtain covering the entrance to find Vieux and Djiveril with two other of our neighbors. All the men were patiently waiting inside for lunch. In the living room, the walls were lined with over-stuffed couches. I noticed an open seat near the door, however was quickly encouraged to sit in an open seat in the middle of the room. (I was a guest of honor.) We talked for a while... questions about the many differences between the States and here. 'What was my favorite sport in the States?' After some conversation, it was already time for tea. In Mali, the tea is served strong, hot, and extra sweet (sometimes with real mint leaves) in a small glass about the size of a shot glass. We also started listening to a cassette tape referred to as the 'slow forty' with artists such as Bob Dylan and the Beatles. For the before lunch meal, we ate from two common plates, sheep ribs and sheep steak and liver. It was a highly unusual scenario, I ate with the other four men. I was bullied by Djiveril into eating my share as well as the portion Steve would have eaten. I was stuffed! After the before lunch meal, I walked back the few blocks to our house to retrieve Steve for lunch. Although he was still feeling a bit under the weather, he agreed to come. As Djiveril urged, Tabaski only comes once a year. We returned together for lunch. After some more conversation, tea, and some banana ginger juice, it was finally time for lunch. We ate fonio with a red sauce (a couscous-like dish made with millet grain) and watermelon for dessert. Our after lunch conversation was the most stimulating, it was about giving, service, and change. At one point, Djiveril referred to the quote to exemplify his point by former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, “ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” I became a little choked up when I told him that Kennedy started the Peace Corps. As the time for my language class approached, we agreed we would continue our conversation another time. It was another successful holiday.