Yesterday was the last day of Ramadan, the month of fasting, and today the three-day holiday of Eid al Fitr began. In fact, it began much earlier this morning than we expected, with some neighbor girls coming to fetch the Dreamer and bring her around to visit other neighbors.

 

Well, visit neighbors and get candy, actually.  Which is why the Dreamer was so excited about going, of course.  It’s the closest thing to Halloween here I think, with the main difference being that instead of carrying a bag to collect the candy in and eat it later, it is all eaten immediately, and continuously, too. Also, instead of dressing in costume, everyone dressed up in new clothes for the occasion.

It’s visiting time for adults, too, so I decided to take my camera along and take pictures of some of the people I visited.

Haboba (grandmother) with her granddaughter.  The lines on her cheeks are traditional tribal markings.  Younger generations no longer do them.

Another neighbor, with her youngest son.  She and her family share the house with her sister and her family, her sister-in-law (below) and her family, her widowed mother, another sister (-in-law?) who isn’t yet married, a brother or two, and I’m not quite sure who else.  My confusion is the effect of my limited language skills, in case you hadn’t guessed.

Below: my friend’s husband, his brother (or was it her brother?) and a friend (or brother, I’m not sure), sitting with Haboba (her mother).  In front of them is a tray of cookies, that strongly resembled Christmas cookies to me!