Happy Slaughter Day!

I had the pleasant surprise of a two-day holiday this past week.  Idul Adha (aka Eid Mubarak) is the Muslim holiday of sacrifice.  In honor of Abraham sacrificing a sheep instead of his son, Muslims all over the world will slaughter goats and cows once a year and distribute the meat throughout their families and communities.

The week before the holiday, goats started to appear in the markets.  On my way to work, I would discover cows staked in the front yards of houses.  Everyone was revving up for the big feasting to come.

At my school, a few teachers went in together to buy a cow.  Meat here is very expensive, especially beef, so it's a big deal to buy a cow.  They invited me to join them at the traditional ritual slaughter on Thursday morning.  Although I had every intention of arriving in time to see the cow while it was still alive and perhaps give it a name, the warm comfort of my bed and the cooling breeze of my air conditioner gave me cause to push the snooze button a few too many times.

Although I missed the killing, I still got experience enough for a long time.

Why yes, that is me holding the head of a dead, skinned cow by the horns.

Here is what it looked like before I picked it up.  Notice the hair between the horns.  Not cute.

Slaughter Party!  This is in the parking lot/basketball court of my school.  

This was the final portion of the slaughter.  He was using the hatchet to break up the skull.  Bone was flying everywhere.