Party at the Neighbors!

At 7:00 this morning, as we were eating breakfast, the aroma of incense came wafting over the wall that separates us from our neighbors and we knew the party was starting!  It was a "baptism" for a baby boy, born 8 days ago, to the daughter of the Muslim family next door.  We were invited for 7:30am.  As we walked out our gate we were surprised to see 50 or more men sitting on the street in front of their yard.  

I was taken into the courtyard where there were so many women we could barely thread our way through to the back where the mother and baby were.  

 The baby was darling... I got to hold him.  This is the naming ceremony, the name was given by the father.  Since this is the mom's first baby, she will stay in the house for 40 days during which she is coddled and fattened up and given a chance to recuperate.  At the end of the 40 day period she will get her hair fixed, be given a new outfit and sent back to her husband.

The beautiful young mother.  

I sat with the other women, clueless as to what was going to happen next.  But when I saw them wrestle and tie down a goat and  then sharpen a knife, I had a pretty good idea.  The Imam came to do the initial slitting of the throat and then went out and announced to the men what the infant's name was.  

We were served an assortment of popcorn, fritter-like cakes and dates and cola nuts.

The local drummers arrived.  When they saw the white lady, they surrounded me and beat their drums.  And beat their drums.  And beat their drums.  I finally concluded that this was a "you give me money and I'll quit" drumming and as I had no money for them they continued to drum!  And I pretended I didn't know what they wanted.  It was actually quite entertaining.  They finally stopped and in frustration one of them said, "Madame, money!"  They left thoroughly disgusted and went outside to play for Tom who had a coin in his pocket for them.

One of the drummers had a coin in his ear--I didn't know if this was a type of ear plug or a hint...

We were then served another dish--a sort of couscous made from corn and mixed with a certain leaf.  They placed platters around the yard and we all crowded into groups and helped ourselves.

My dear "grandma" and I enjoyed the time together in spite of the fact that she speaks no French and I speak no Hausa.

  

There were goats and sheep in abundance in the yard along with one cow.  Amazing.  They licked the platters clean.