Selamat Idul Adha!

A couple weeks ago was the Islamic holiday, Idul Adha, which is when animals such as cows, goats, and chickens are purchased, sacrificed and given to the poor. My school, an Islamic Boarding School, hosted a celebration right on our campus. 3 cows and 6 goats were sacrificed behind the school by the soccer field. I watched the entire process/ceremony unfold and it was truly captivating. I have never seen an animal killed in person (although I did kill a cobra earlier in the year if you recall which sent chills up my spine..) so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was definitely a little nervous about seeing this whole process but I knew that it is a once in a lifetime experience to have. All the students and teachers gathered by the field and a prayer was said before each animal was sacrificed. One cow was killed and butchered at a time while the goats too said their last goodbyes. After the prayer was said, the animal's throat was slit and the blood was drained until the animal dies. This was by far the most difficult part to watch. The cow was writhing and moving and it was tough to watch. But for some reason, once the cow was dead, it was much easier to watch. The men (including male students) began to butcher the cow right there (only men are allowed to partake in it) and it didn't seem real. It wasn't really bloody, it almost seemed fake!

Be warned that many of these photos are graphic and show the butchering process....so proceed if you think you can handle it! I document the whole process so the beginning is pretty tame with just the animals waiting around.








































Some goats:


Cleaning the knives..

more goats:



The lone survivor... not for long.

Once the bulk of the animal was butchered, the smaller parts were sent to the students who continued to chop up the pieces into cuts of meat.

Here these women/girls are making a coconut drink and dessert.