Festival: Muslim "Festival of Sacrifice"
- Source: Global Times
- [14:58 November 27 2009]
- Comments
By Tong Ting
Corban Festival (known as Eid al-adha outside China), is the Muslim "Festival of Sacrifice", and is celebrated by many ethnic groups in China, including the Hui, Kazak, Uzbek, Tajik and Uygur ethnicities. It is one of the three major festivals of the Muslim faith, and is as important to them as the spring festival is to Han Chinese.
The festival comes from an ancient Arab religious legend. The Prophet Ibrahim dreamed that Allah ordered him to slaughter his own son, Ismaili, to test his loyalty. At the moment Ibrahim was prepared to slay his son, envoys sent by Allah appeared, along with a sheep. They ordered Ismaili to kill the sheep instead. Thus the custom of slaughtering a sacrificial animal for a feast every year was born. December 10, in the Muslim calendar, is the day of Eid al-adha. This year the festival falls on Saturday, November 28, according to the Gregorian calendar. The celebration usually lasts for three days.
On the first morning of Eid al-adha, everyone dresses in their best clothes and goes to the mosque to pray. Prayers are followed by visits to families and friends, followed by a grand celebration in which sheep, cows, or camels are slaughtered as a symbol of Ibrahim's sacrifice. The sacrificial animals are also carefully chosen; sheep younger than two years old, and cows and camels younger than three years old, as well as blind and crippled animals, cannot be slaughtered. Sharing the sacrificed meat among people is considered an important part of the festival. The meat should be divided into three sets: one for the family, one for neighbors and friends and one for the poor.
Eid al-adha has become a tradition for Chinese Muslims, and Muslims across the country celebrate this holiday, regardless of whether or not they are religious. When visiting a family or friend, a big plate of steamed lamb is usually served. It is a courtesy to taste the lamb at one's home, even if you are already full. The remaining bones are not for Fido; according to custom, they must be buried.
For people celebrating in Xinjiang, traditional Xinjiang pastries like baked nang (similar to pancakes), sanzi (deep-fried dough twists), and youxiang (fried bread) are also a must for the holiday. Nang is one of the favorite pastries in Xinjiang, and is baked in a special oven made of mud. There are more than 10 varieties of it, including meat stuffed nang, oily nang, and sesame nang. Sanzi is a typical snack for Uygur and Hui ethnic groups. It is very crispy, and is usually served together with hot milk tea. Youxiang is thick, round bread that is crispy outside and tender inside.
Different regions tend to have different tastes, so there are light, sweet, and meaty flavors to choose from. The tradition is to break the youxiang with one's right hand and eat it, instead of biting it. Celebrations at the mosque are reserved for Muslims only, but if you are still craving the experience of this carnivorous feast, you can try out any of Beijing's multiple Muslim restaurants.
