Seli Jinin 9/20/09

Today is the end of Ramadan, Seli Jinin in Bambara. For a month, all the Muslims have been fasting (no water or food while the sun is up). It’s incredibly hot so this is no small feat. They have been preparing all week for this day, getting outfits made, doing their hair/ getting hair cut and henna-ing on their feet. (I have a cool box pattern on the soles of my feet now- my family insists that when I go back to America I have to get my feet done so everyone in America can see- lol).
I get up later than everyone in my concession, so when I went around to greet everyone, I was handled a pot with some pancake-shaped cakes, with meat and sauce. I’ve never hungry in the morning and they know that, but I ate a little anyway. Everyone is hustling and bustling. My host dad gets dressed up in a green grand buba (a man’s outfit that consists of pants, a shirt, and a long tunic with no sleeves) and his friend that’s there tells me that they are going to pray. I say, ‘yeah, at the mosque’ and he says no we’re going to pray. And I’m like ‘yeah, at the mosque.’ He explains that everyone, men, women and children, are going to pray so they’re going to an open place. (Only men and old women can pray at the mosque). The children are washed and dressed nicely and one of my host brothers is like ‘lets go.’ I’m horrified; I cant possibly go since I’m Christian and have no clue how to pray the way they pray; I don’t want to defile the ceremony or whatever. But he and my host moms don’t have any problem at all. In fact, they encourage me to go and take pictures. So “An ka taa” (Lets go!)
I leave my compound and it’s a ghost town outside. Everyone has gone to the big soccer field on the other side of the canal to pray. There are a few women and children here and there but there’s a big assembly of people all there to pray.
Now I love me some Jesus, but I’ve always been impressed by the discipline Muslims have by praying the exact same way the exact same time, EVERYDAY. In the same vein, Friday is a special day here. Everyone gets off work 11:30ish and all the men go to the mosque to pray. In Bamako, (the big city) there are literally thousands of men lined up praying at noon. It’s a beautiful site.
This prayer time was similar in its beauty. There are men to my left and women to my right, side by side, dressed in their finest, praying. Even the children are there, quietly watching. I was in awe of such a beautiful moment, and all of a sudden my host brother is like “Take pics!” I feel almost blasphemous taking pictures of this moment but he kept insisting, pointing out good spots. So I took a couple pics (see the Picasa album- Seli Jinin) and it was over. Afterward, everyone peacefully went home.
The rest of the day is chill. Lots of relaxing, snacking and the women cook (of course). Later, there is dancing and eating a big feast! People are still dressed very nicely. At one point during the day, a group of young men came into our compound singing. It instantly reminded me of Christmas caroling! And this holiday is like Christmas without gifts. People dress nicely, go to pray, then spend time with family while eating a lot of food. And the whole point of the holiday is to remember/ be closer to Ala.