Feast of the Sacrifice

Another cold, drizzly day. Last night it went down to 9 degrees. It really feels like winter at last! The streets are very slippery and people walk cautiously to avoid falling.

Sheep herded into Damascus Gate

The streets in the Muslim Quarter are packed with stalls and people tonight. The Muslim feast of the Sacrifice (Abraham sacrificing Ishmail, not Isaac) starts tonight and it's a big feast lasting 2 days. From the crush of goods and people at the Damascus Gate, flocks of sheep were herded into the Old City for the ritual slaughter. Children found it very funny but most people made way for the sheep mainly because they stink to high heaven.

This afternoon had lunch with the chinese students studying here in Jerusalem. It was a good occasion to meet up, get to know each other and update on news. Later in the evening I brought some Indian friends to visit the Old City. They cooked lemon rice - spicy - which we ate under the palm trees at Damascus Gate. That was when we saw the sheep being herded into the City. The rice was very very good! I think next week they'll cook something else. Looking forward to it.