Having just spent a hectic Eid week of eating, visiting and partying, I can categorically say that the Sudanese sure know how to celebrate - and without the aid of alcohol!
The week before Eid (Eid al-Adha http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eid_al-Adha) I was lucky enough to attend a graduation ceremony at the University. Apparently I had already missed at least one of the parties that the students hold to celebrate this momentous occasion, but I'd made it to the "main event."
Without wishing to offend anyone, graduation ceremonies are great occasions where fantastic achievements are celebrated but let's face it they can be a tad boring! Especially for the proud relatives and friends who sit through seemingly endless speeches from Professors they have never heard of about things they don't care about - at least if you are a graduand you get to sit with your friends and gossip about the good old days at Uni, until you are herded into a long orderly queue ready to go onto the stage to collect your award.
So as I took my front row seat at the University of Kordofan, Faculty of Arts 2011 Graduation Ceremony, I prepared myself for the usual long speeches and even longer lists of names that would be even more tedious as I wouldn't understand any of it! Thankfully I couldn't have been more wrong!
My colleagues formed an orderly line up beneath the stage, which was well lit with a large sound and video system. Music was playing, names were read out and the students made their way, in their own time, complete with entourage of family and friends to collect their awards, stopping on the way to be congratulated, introduce their family to their teachers and pose for photo's to mark the occasion. Relatives and friends were cheering and trilling and fireworks were going off everywhere. There were a few speeches, but they were not overly long and they were appropriately in Arabic, French and English, congratulating the graduates of each language, to which some students responded by taking the microphone and thanking their lecturers.
Much to my embarrassment there was even a small tribute to me for joining the team at the University! There were no orderly queues and the crowd were spilling in front of the stage completely obscuring my view, much to the annoyance of the "Graduation Committee" students who were trying hard to keep them under control. "It's no good, they can't be controlled, they won't listen," one of them told me. For me it was exactly the sheer organised chaos and excitement combined with the contrast to a "Traditional English Graduation" that made it so thoroughly entertaining! These students had worked hard for 4-5 years, and families had supported them and made sacrifices to keep them at University - they were all very proud and they were showing it! Whole families were there, some of whom had travelled miles, none of this "two tickets per graduand" nonsense that we have back in the UK. Once the "formal" part of the ceremony had been completed, one of Sudan's popular singers took to the stage and all the students were cheering, dancing and singing and throwing each other up in the air. It was at this point that myself and my colleagues made a dignified exit and left them to enjoy the rest of their evening!
On the last day of term before Eid, my friends and colleagues Majid, Arsen and I stopped off on the way home to buy a sheep - like you do! Once the beast had been selected; on the grounds of size and condition of the tail, state of it's coat etc, they did no more than load it into the boot of the car! Half way home it made a desperate bid for freedom and nearly escaped! I sat in the front of the car in hysterics whilst Majid and Arsen wrestled with the sheep to get it back into the boot; resisting the urge to get out and take pictures.
The next day Majid picked me up and took me to his house to have henna applied to my hands and feet, which is a tradition for married ladies in Sudan. I also had my hair braided and his wife showed me how to dress myself in the beautiful green tobe that Majid had given me earlier. All I needed to do now was get the right shoes and skirt to wear with it! So the next day I ventured to the market alone to shop. Luckily I ran into my colleague Elzain, who was out shopping with his wife and daughter and they helped me pick out some "ship ships" (leather flip flop type sandals) that would show my henna off in all it's glory! After that various strangers took me all around the Souk helping me to find the perfect skirt at the right price.
Sunday November 6th was the first day of Eid. Majid arrived at 9am to take me to his house to enjoy the celebration with his family. By now my transformation into a Sudanese lady was complete - I was wearing my tobe (all be it badly!) On the way we saw men in their traditional dress of "jalabia's and emmas" (white tunics and turbans), coming out of the mosque, drumming and marching down the street. Everyone was stopping and greeting each other, smiling broadly, children were wearing their best clothes. It was a wonderful atmosphere of happiness and celebration. Neighbours stopped us in the street on their way to visit each others houses.
Once we got to the house I surprised myself by sitting and watching while Majid's brother, Adam, slaughtered, skinned and gutted the sheep without me fainting or being sick! We then enjoyed a hearty breakfast; complete with offal; cooked in the traditional way over charcoal, before heading out to visit some of our colleagues in their homes after being re-dressed properly in my tobe!
The Sudanese ladies look so elegant in their tobes and wear them so effortlessly - whereas I struggled to get mine on properly and every time I moved, it moved - consequently at each home we visited I had to be re-dressed by the lady of the house before we could move on to the next one! It was worth the effort though, as my colleagues and their families were thrilled to see the transformation from English to Sudanese lady! Everyone was telling me I looked beautiful - though to me I just looked like an English woman wrapped (badly!) in a large piece of fabric!
On the second day of Eid, we visited Arsen and had breakfast with his family and on the third day (which is the last day of slaughtering) we had breakfast at the Vice Chancellor's office at the University. I did not think it humanly possible to eat so much meat in such a short time! Although I couldn't help but wonder how my two vegetarian colleagues in Khartoum were getting on!
Also on the third day of Eid, I went to the "Henna Party" part of the pre wedding celebrations, which I suppose is much like our traditional "Hen Party" with the absence of alcohol and the male stripper! However, it is just as much fun - a large group of women gathered together to dance, laugh and gossip.
The actual wedding took place two days after the Henna. I was taken to join the ladies at the end of the religious part of the marriage, and told it would be an occasion where I would have to practice my Arabic as most of the ladies would not speak English! Although what my friend Mohammed hadn't reckoned on was that a white woman in El Obeid at a party is like a heat seeking missile to those who want to practice their English speaking skills, so I had soon found some English speakers amongst the guests! When I arrived there was a lady playing a traditional drum and singing, whilst others danced. She kindly dedicated a song to me in Arabic and I was obliged to join in the dancing and show of my best Sudanese dance moves, much to the enjoyment of the crowd - I wasn't entirely sure if they were laughing with me or at me, but I didn't care, they had made me feel so welcome and a part of their celebrations. Later we moved on to the main wedding celebration, picking up the polystyrene boxes with the wedding suppers in on the way. It is the custom at such gatherings for all the women to sit one side together and the men on the other side, but everyone in Sudan loves to dance! So the dance floor is a mixture of men, women and children enjoying the music and all dancing together, around the bride and groom, who by now have joined the party to be congratulated by all their guests.
Sudanese weddings are quite different from English
weddings in many ways. Firstly in Sudan the celebrations can last up to a week, secondly the actual "marriage" is conducted in private between the bride and groom's families, and thirdly there is no such thing as a seating plan or guest list! In Sudan when someone gets married everyone goes - non of that worrying whether you have a "plus 1" on your invitation or not! You are welcome and so are your friends, the more the merrier! The first weekend I was in Sudan a friends colleague's brother was getting married, so our friend took about six of us along to join in the fun - not only we were made most welcome we were thanked heartily at the end for attending. Not something you would see at your average English wedding reception!
Eid week is a popular time for weddings, with many people finding themselves double and triple booked and having to attend several parties during the week, some on the same night. After my non stop week of celebrating I was happy to get back into my work routine - until Christmas in Khartoum of course!
