Ramadan feast - Rosa Eid

At the close of the month of Ramadan (رمضان) is a special celebration to break the 30-day fast! Many families will buy a single sheep that they will slaughter for the feast, to commemorate Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son. The meat is then divided into three equal parts to be distributed to others (1/3 to the family, 1/3 to other relatives, friends & neighbors, and 1/3 is given to the poor as a gift). This year we were privileged to share the holiday with one of our employees & her family. Here are some pictures of the yummy foods we ate!

You can see Polo (aka Pilaf = rice & carrot dish), some Pickled cabbage & carrots, and also Fifila (mutton & rice balls) which the kids love.

This is a famous Uyghur soup called Chuchura. It is filled with lamb dumplings, vegetables, cilantro & the perfect spicy broth!

We are always treated with the best hospitality - and wonderful times of laughter!

parties galore...

What a weekend of parties & feasting! We had so much fun visiting friends' homes to share meals & fellowship. Here are a few shots of us visiting with local friends over the Eid holiday. Uyghur's call Eid - ROSA! We aren't sure of the exact translation, but its the same Eid that is celebrated across the globe in Islamic culture. It is very common to go from one home to another, with full spreads of food, snacks & sweets at each home. It was amazing, and the hospitality was incredible. We weren't allowed to visit, until the men had returned from the Mosque, which marks the beginning of the celebrations!
This is a typical Uyghur family home, complete with carpets on the wall, lacey curtains, white doilies on the furniture, low tables and platters of food! The mound of noodles/bread you see on the table is a common Uyghur treat called "Sangzi" and the kids love it! I have never seen so much piled that high though! We didn't eat that much either!!

Here is one of my fave pictures - A'pa with five little American girls! She has worked for us for 7 months now, and this other family for over 4 years! She is a sweet gift to our families, and the kids adore her! Anyhow, happy Rosa-Eid!!

Rama-reflections - week 4

Oct 13th 2007 - Eid al-Fitr "Breaking of the Fast"
When the new moon is seen in the sky, this marks the end of the Ramadan month of fasting, and a time to celebrate and thank Allah for his help with this extended fast & ability to exercise self-control. This is the first day of the 10th month in the Islamic lunar calendar (Shawwal). Food is donated to the poor (zakat) and everyone is ready to celebrate this much-anticipated day!! *I know Justin is looking forward to breaking his personal fast, and eating lunches with us again!*

Typically, the men rise early to visit their mosque for a special prayer time, with everyone wearing their finest attire. After the prayers & a special sermon, Muslims rise and greet each other with "Eid Mubarak" which means "Holiday blessings!" Women also rise early to begin preparing their menu of delicious foods for their many visitors. Throughout the day, people visit each others' homes, sharing delicious meals. It is a very joyous time to come together with loved ones. Children are often rewarded with gifts, money & sweets. Homes are adorned with lights & decorations - making the day very festive.

If the family is able - they will buy a lamb for the feasting, and make many traditional dishes to commemorate the celebration. Just as Thanksgiving is known for turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce & pumpkin pie, so Eid is known for these famous dishes: Murgh mussallam, Mrouziya, Nawab biriyani, Beef stew, Tabouli, Biryani, Mutton korma, Sheer Korma, Seviyan, Lemon pepper steak, fig& lemon chicken, lentil soup, meatballs, fig cakes, etc.

We were invited to share in the celebration with a neighbor & friend. I (Ali) hope to taste and learn how to prepare some of these cultural dishes too. I hear they are all very tasty! We will let you know how our celebration goes. I posted a new Lamb recipe, if you are brave and want to try it! See our recipe site.

Rama-reflections - week 3

Tuesday October 9th 2007 - the Night of Power & Peace

As we enter the last 10 days of Ramadan (ends 10.13.07) Muslims across the globe will prepare to observe Lailat al-Qadr, the "Night of Power." This special event marks the night (over 1400 years ago) when Muhammad supposedly received his first revelations from Allah. Muslims regard this as the most important event in history, and the Qur'an says that this night is "greater in value than a thousand months" (97:1-5) and that on this night the angels descend to earth. Many will exert themselves more in these last 10 days than any other time. Muslims will stay up all night in prayer, devotion & recitation of the Qur'an as they seek forgiveness for all previous wrongdoings. It is a special way to gain righteousness by dedicating yourself to Allah during this sacred time.

Specific things to do for Qadr (adapted from this site):

• Take a vacation for Allah - rather than a vacation from our job, take a vacation to spend with Allah, worshiping him and thanking him. This will also help with staying awake during extra Ibadah or I'tikaf*.
• Do *I'tikaf - a form of worship, by spending extended secluded time (3+days) in a Mosque - with the intention to worship thru extra prayers, study or recitation of the Qu'ran. This time helps you to not be distracted or preoccupied by life, but to stay focused.
  
• Offer special Dua's (supplications, recited prayers) in Arabic.
  
• Recite the Qu'ran - choose any special Surah, or practice any from memory.
  
• Reflect on the Qu'ran - think deeply about the meaning, and how it affects you personally.
  
• Get your sins wiped away - stand during prayer, longer prayers, with deep meaning. Careful reflection, concentration and recitation is very important.
  
• Make a personal Dua list - things that you want to ask Allah for.
• Evaluate yourself - all the good/bad you have done.
• Make long, sincere & deep Dua's (prayers) - the best time is during the last part of the night, even waking before breakfast and pleading Allah for anything & everything you want.
  
• Memorize a different Dua every night, with the general meaning too.
  
• Have Iftar with your family - the meal that breaks your fast at sundown each day, with sweet dates.
  
• Take your family to Tarawih - meaning "standing at night." This is a voluntary time of prayer, where you must stand while long portions of the Qu'ran are recited.
  
• Attend the Dua after the completion of the Qu'ran recitation - after the Qu'ran has been read completely thru, the Imam may choose to recite extra Dua's.
• Finish reading a book on the Prophet - to increase your love for him and Islam. Maybe it will inspire you.
• Plan for the next year - almost like making a resolution for the year ahead.
• Make a checklist for each night - to help you avoid wasting time in unproductive chats.
  

We hope this has been insightful, and that you may read something informative that can help you understand the heart behind this post. We are learning lots about the differences in culture and beliefs in this distant land. Many of our friends observe these practices, some with great devotion, and many without real understanding or passion - but either way, it is good to be aware of their background and build a bridge to common ground. :)

Rama-reflections - week 2

This week, we happened to be out trying to flag down a taxi around 7:45pm, and the streets were crowded with people trying to get home too. We waited for a good 45 minutes, with all three littles. The best part of waiting, was that we got to see an older Uyghur couple arguing about where to wait for a taxi, and almost running to beat other people waiting too. The greatest part about it - was the man had a beheaded lamb over his shoulder. It was a sight!! They finally stomped off after losing 2-3 taxis to quicker runners. I wish I had my camera. :)

This week's highlights:
Here are a few traditional practices that happen during the month of Ramadan

• Eating meals twice a day, one before the sunrise and one after the sun sets (with a 12 hour fast in between). The morning meal is called suhoor, followed by pre-dawn prayers called fair - around 4am. More dedicated Muslims will stay up in worship, others might go back to bed. The fast is broken after sunset followed by the evening maghrib prayer. There is also a later evening prayer called the isha.
  
• Men are urged to visit the local Mosque as many times as they can
• Read the entire Qur'an during the month of Ramadan: at many mosques during this month, one thirtieth (1/30) of the Qur'an is recited in Arabic each night in prayers called the tarawih. In this way, by the end of the month - the complete scripture will have been recited
• Cook delicious food during the month of Ramadan (recipes to come!)
  
• Breaking the daily fast with a drink of water & sweet dates
• Social visits are encouraged
• Generosity & charity & good deeds have special significance this month. Muslims are obligated to share their blessings by feeding the poor and making contributions to mosques
• The final 10 days of Ramadan is a special celebration called Lailat al-Qadr, also called the "Night of Power." To spend these nights in worship is equivalent to a thousand months of worship. Allah's reward will be very great. We hope to learn more about this event this upcoming week.
  

Rama-reflections - week 1

During Ramadan in the Muslim world, most restaurants are closed during the daylight hours. Here in Urumqi, that is not always true. There is such a vast diversity of peoples, so many restaurants are open for business, with slightly less patrons. Many families get up early for suhoor, a meal eaten before sunrise. Throughout the day, people will frequent the local mosque, offer regular times of prayer, and dress up if they go out. I have noticed more Uyghur men wearing their hats, and older women are dressed a bit nicer than normal. Also, during the afternoon - it seems quieter than usual! After the sun sets, the fast is broken with a meal known as iftar. We hear that Iftar usually begins with dates & sweet drinks that provide a quick energy boost. Most nights - the sunset is around 6:20pm, local time - so its not that hard to wait for a bountiful dinner.

But we have noticed some interesting things:

• Many of our Muslim friends do not adhere to the strict fast. Many of them eat during the day for various reasons (their tummy hurts, they are working too hard, job forbids them, etc).
  
• When we ask our friends why they celebrate Ramadan, we get an array of answers (to pay for our bad deeds, to know what its like to be poor, to follow the tradition of our ancestors, the Koran says to, even to lose weight!). So far only one friend has been able to communicate the correct reason Ramadan is celebrated this month. Times are a-changing.
  
• Fasting this month is expected for every Muslim - so its funny when everyone disappears during lunchtime. Where do they go? One day Justin saw one girl eating during lunch, and she was very embarrassed. Maybe being on a campus is harder for students, but we have been surprised by how many do not adhere to the fast.
  

the first day of Ramadan

This is the first year we have ever really experienced Ramadan first-hand and we are excited to understand in a deeper way the roots behind many of the customs & practices in this foreign culture and region of the world. Hope you enjoy learning along with us.

From our reading, and talking with friends - Ramadan "a month of blessing" begins at sundown - the 9th month of the lunar calendar of the new moon. This month is considered Islam's most holy month - where Muslims commemorate the revelation of their holy Qur'an (570-632AD), set aside to devote themselves to Allah thru prayer, fasting and acts of charity. This year - Ramadan begins on September 12th at sundown, and ends on October 13th with a celebratory festival called Eid al-Fitr - a "festival to break the fast." Because Islamic holidays are based on a lunar calendar - they will change each year (by about 11 days).

According to Sharia law, all physically fit Muslims must practice this fast (Sawm) from food, water & other sensual pleasures during daylight hours. Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam. Those exempt from the fast are: soldiers, the physically or mentally challenged, pregnant/nursing mothers, women who are menstruating, children under 12, and those traveling more than 50 miles. As well, everyone is encouraged to morally abstain from lying, malicious gossip, quarreling & trivial nonsense.

We are going to interview some friends to see what types of customs they adhere to, and what they might believe to be true about this holy month. We think it will be very interesting!! More info to come.....stay tuned!