Festive table for Eid al-Adha: dishes and customs. Features of the funeral table among Muslims: signs, customs, traditions, obligatory dishes
As you know, Muslims have two biggest holidays - Eid al-Fitr (Eid al-Fitr) and Eid al-Adha (Eid al-Adha). They are widely celebrated by both practicing and ethnic Muslims.
Islam unites different cultures and peoples. Islamic traditions, the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) becomes a unifying factor for carrying out certain events, especially. Therefore, it is not surprising that even the culinary traditions of different nations are very similar.
The two main Muslim holidays traditionally last three days. During these days, it is customary everywhere to visit and host people. Usually they visit friends and relatives. And these days the Ingush have open doors to everyone without exception. Anyone can come to the house, and they will not be denied hospitality - they will feed and drink.
National dishes of different nations
Muslim cuisine is predominantly meat-based. Most often they use beef or lamb; the steppe Turkic peoples use horse meat.
One of the most common dishes among Muslims is pilaf. In Russia, it is most often prepared according to Uzbek or Tajik recipes. This is a meat dish made from lamb with the addition of spices, sometimes chickpeas. Pilaf is placed in the center of the table on many holidays, not only religious ones. For example, there is a tradition in honor of the birth of a child. In this regard, sometimes the meat is either distributed or a common meat dish is made.
Varieties of pilaf vary depending on the area. If Tajiks and Uzbeks cook it with spices and very fatty, then the Kazan Tatars prefer without seasonings, cooking with garlic and prunes, and the Kazakhs add apples and dried apricots. In the Caucasus, pilaf will be sweet with the addition of all kinds of dried fruits. Usually these are raisins and dried apricots.
If you want to surprise your guests with an unusual pilaf, we recommend preparing the Azerbaijani version, known as Shah-pilaf. The peculiarity of this dish is that it is made with a crust of pita bread, dough or noodles, which is called gazmah. To prepare, you will need traditional ingredients, so every housewife can do this delicacy: rice, lamb, ghee, saffron, raisins, dried apricots, onions, etc. How to cook shah pilaf is clearly shown in this video:
Indian Muslims and Pakistanis call pilaf biriyani- This is a special traditional and very popular dish with the addition of special seasonings, including turmeric, cardamom and red hot pepper. Therefore, the dish turns out to be very spicy. It is eaten not only on holidays, it is included in the everyday menu.
The most popular Kazakh dish is beshbarmak(besbarmak), which are pieces of boiled meat with noodles that are eaten with your hands. It is an integral part of the holiday table. The Chechen national holiday dish is very similar to it zhizhig galnash(translated as “dumpling meat”), which is also prepared from lamb, beef or chicken with dumplings made from wheat or corn flour.
Famous Avar khinkal also consists of lamb or chicken with fluffy flatbreads made from wheat dough. The difference between this dish is that it is served with some kind of sauce.
Soups are popular among the Tatars. Therefore, they often prepare chicken noodle soup. Even on the wedding day, the bride, according to tradition, must prepare this dish herself and serve it to the guests. In addition to soup, meat baked goods are very common among the Tatars. Therefore, traditionally served triangles (ochpochmak), peremyachi And whites.
This festive dish is very interesting and tasty. kurutob. This is a very common Tajik dish. Pieces of flatbread are immersed in grated cottage cheese with milk, covered with slices of fresh cucumbers, tomatoes and herbs.
The holiday food of many Turkic peoples is shurpa(sorpa) - rich meat broth with the addition of vegetables and herbs. It is worth noting the hearty Azerbaijani soup bozbash on a meat bone (or brisket) with vegetables and chickpeas. For aroma and taste, dried fruits and currants are added to it. There are a great many options for preparing bozbash. The recipes differ in spices and some additives, but the main ingredients - meat and chickpeas - are always preserved.
For many Muslim peoples, it is common to decorate the festive table with dishes made from offal. Especially on Eid al-Adha. This is due to the fact that they deteriorate faster and are impractical to store. On the 1st day, housewives usually prepare dishes from the liver and heart. On the 2nd day - soup of lamb heads and shanks. The main dishes are stewed meat, stir-fries with rice, legumes or vegetables. And already on the 3rd day the turn comes to soups on lamb bones, pilaf, shish kebab, lagman, manti, beshbarmak and many other traditional dishes.
Festive cuisine in Malaysia is interesting. The main dish on the festive table is rice fried with vegetables and shrimp. In addition to it, the Malays delight themselves and their guests with such culinary delights as satay(a dish reminiscent of kebab, but much smaller in size), nasi lemak(a rice dish cooked in coconut milk - chopped eggs, anchovies, nuts and cucumbers are added to it). Try to prepare this dish according to the very convenient recipe presented in the video, and make sure that this is exactly what will suit your holiday table!
Also popular in Malaysia is a chicken broth made with small compressed rice cubes called soto. Another, again rice, dish - lontong. It consists of vegetables with rice and thick gravy.
Holiday sweets and desserts among Muslim peoples
In the East, sweets are treated with special love. The variety of these delicacies is known all over the world. All kinds of jams, flour products, sweet products made from honey, nuts and fruits become integral attributes of any feast.
The list of the most famous sweets includes baklava- dessert made from puff pastry in sweet honey syrup with nuts. According to one opinion, Persia is considered the birthplace of baklava, others believe that the Ottoman Empire. Be that as it may, today baklava is a national delicacy of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Arab and other eastern countries. Every place has its own cooking features, but the main ingredients remain the same.
In second place in popularity and fame is halva. People in Russia are accustomed to seeing halva made from sunflower seeds on store shelves. But in fact, it can be very diverse. Halva is prepared from sesame seeds, peanuts, almonds, pistachios and other nuts. But in the North Caucasus, in particular among the Chechens, halva is prepared from corn flour, and less often from wheat flour. This dessert is served only on special occasions - for Eid al-Fitr and weddings. The secret of making Chechen halva lies in frying flour with honey so that it turns into a tender cake.
Using flour and honey, Tatars, Bashkirs and Kazakhs create their own unique delicacy - chuck-chuck And baursak. They are the hallmark of the traditional cuisine of a number of Turkic peoples.
Sweets that do not have a national connection are also nougat and Turkish delight (known as Turkish Delight) - honey and nuts are used for their preparation.
Some peoples, for example, Azerbaijanis, prepare cookies sheker-buru. It is a crescent-shaped dough that is sprinkled with nuts, mainly almonds. The recipe is reminiscent of making homemade traditional cookies.
To get a portion of sheker-bura for 6-10 people you will need:
- premium flour - 4 cups;
- butter - 1 pack (180-200 g);
- egg - 1 pc.;
- sugar - 1 glass;
- milk - 0.5 cups;
- slaked soda - 0.5 teaspoon.
Known to many Kurabye- also an Azerbaijani national delicacy. This is probably why it is also called “Baku”. However, kurabiye is a widespread oriental sweet, which also differs in its preparation methods in each country.
The sweet pastries that traditionally decorate the festive table are also varied among the Tatar people. In addition to chak-chak, a favorite and traditional pastry for celebrations is Gubadia- pie with rice, kort (fried sweet cottage cheese), boiled eggs and raisins, sour cream and other baked goods.
In Muslim cuisine, as already noted, Malaysian and Indian cooking stands apart. Traditional Indian sweets such as jalebi or laddoo, are very popular among Muslims living in this country. Although some of them are prepared by Hindus as offerings to local deities, they are common tasty sweets among Muslims.
In Malaysia, desserts are a little unusual, very different from traditional dishes. The cuisine of this people was influenced by the culinary traditions of neighboring countries: Thailand and Singapore. For example, kui ketayap- thin pancakes dyed green with pandan leaves and stuffed with grated coconut and palm sugar syrup. During the holiday, guests are sure to be served the Malays' favorite dessert - chendol- green bean puree with sugar in a thick coconut pulp sauce.
The range of Muslim holiday cuisine is wider than presented in our article. Describing all the features, one could compose an entire cookbook. We wanted to introduce you to the main dishes.
Bon appetit!
It happened. How did you decide? Don't know. It rather happened that I did it without thinking. I realized only when a Tatar friend asked me in the evening how I was not afraid to take on this, and that she was afraid to do it alone. But, already from the height of her experience, she answered: “It’s difficult, but not scary. If there was a desire, they would help. So please seek advice."
We are talking about a traditional Tatar gathering of women at the festive table with the reading of sacred texts. It must be said that gathering women is traditionally the job of the older generation. Young people often don’t see the point in this. And he attends such meetings only out of tribute to the traditions of his ancestors. Yes, and for the time being it never occurred to me. But it so happened that at one of the meetings fate brought me together with the amazing woman Oltin-beke, who turned our gathering into an amazingly beautiful event. () And she sang to us in her rich, strong voice ancient Tatar religious ballads. And I couldn’t rest because I wanted to hear it again.
When I tried to find any information about the religious chants of the Tatars, I was surprised to find out that there is this “blank spot” in our history. And there are no serious studies on this topic, not to mention the texts themselves. Only someone remembered how a certain aunt or grandmother sang these songs a long time ago. That's all. Was it possible to put an end to this? Will it calm down that I’m one of the few who heard this? I thought for a long time. How will this woman react to the proposal to repeat this under a microphone? Won't he be offended, won't he judge? We even contacted a friend, the owner of a recording studio. Maybe bring her there and record it?
I decided to have a serious conversation with my mother-in-law. Explained everything. My mother-in-law is an adequate woman and took the negotiations into her own hands. "Let's try!" -she said. If he refuses, what can you do, but if he agrees, we’ll do a good thing for our own people - the record will remain in the family.
My mother-in-law called back a couple of days later and said:
- Oltin-beke agreed! Only she said that it was better to do it in your house. She has set a date and time, you must come pick her up and bring her to your place.
- Mom, but did you explain to her that I want to write down?
- Yes. She doesn't mind at all. She said that it was even very good. So get ready, kizim. Let's call a small circle - about ten people. Tell me how I can help you. What to bake?
- Of course, your Gubadia!
- Yary, kizim, call if anything happens.
And I began to prepare for holding the Quran Asha in my house. And, reflecting on what happened, I outline instructions for carrying it out.
Such a meeting begins with the need to find the woman(s) who reads the sacred texts and come to an agreement with her. If there are some in the family, so much the better. Mark the date and time with her.
Next, call all elderly and middle-aged relatives. Invite them. Also invite all other female relatives, starting from the age of the brides. It is customary to attend such events without fail. If there are close friends (Muslims according to the faith of their ancestors), or neighbors, or their mothers, their names are the same.
Next comes general cleaning of the apartment, including washing windows, washing curtains, washing out all corners and nooks. If one of the guests is in your house for the first time, it is customary to show the entire apartment, including the bathroom and kitchen. I prepared my youngest on this topic just in case, in case I suddenly don’t have time. And my mother was ready.
Rooms. It is necessary to determine a room where to put the children and men, and set a small table there. Some will come with a child, others will be brought by their husband. And they should find a comfortable place. At the same time, men will look after the children.
Room for prayer. The time for prayer will definitely fall during this period. To do this, you need to prepare an absolutely clean room. After all, praying grandmothers will bow on the floor. Therefore, lower yourself into a similar position and check whether your closet and sofa are perfectly clean. If you do not have a prayer rug, prepare large, clean towels. And you must also know where your west is and where your east is. You will definitely be asked about this in order to determine the right direction. Here my Tatar vocabulary was replenished with new words: kenbatysh - west, kenchygysh - east, tenyak - north, kenyak - south. Wow! Especially the south!
Next, inspect your bookshelves to see if there are any photographs, paintings and souvenirs that are not appropriate for this event. I removed an Egyptian miniature on papyrus with the god Ra, a painting by an artist friend depicting a hellish scene, and also a couple of Cambodian figurines.
Small gifts. It is customary to present each guest with small gifts at the end of the meeting. Most often these are beautiful handkerchiefs in which a banknote and a bag are wrapped to take away kuchtanach - gifts from the table. Since I was expecting only ten guests, I took the liberty of buying headscarves for each of them. And don’t put in the banknote anymore. For a Tatar woman, a scarf is never out of place. Next, I also bought a bundle of cute baked goods bags. All this is rolled up: a handkerchief bag. It is laid out on a beautiful tray and left in an inconspicuous place in the room where the “reading” will take place.
Place for kuchtanach. Since each guest will come with her own baked goods - and these are usually trays and lagans. You need to prepare a place where you can put it all together, cut it and lay it out. There is also a stack of plates for this. We accept every gift brought with words of gratitude. We remember the guest’s dishes or tray. We lay out and cut only half of the gift. This is placed on the table. The second half will be divided and given to those who could not come - small children, nursing mothers, elderly parents. Well, of course, something will remain in the house.
For this purpose, I identified a kitchen shelf on which the microwave stands, having first cleared all the shelves. I had to take the laptop away - it was on the shelf under the microwave. If there are more guests, a corner will not help here. We need to prepare more space.
Also check if there are enough slippers for everyone. It must be enough. If not, go and buy more. Or sew yourself a leather jacket from your husband’s old one. Guests in your home should feel comfortable.
Entrance. We send the youngest one to sweep and wash the entrance. Fortunately, the cottage has only two floors. The front door is not locked on this day. Anyone who is late knows and will quietly come in without calling.
Now table setting.
A beautiful tablecloth, the best dishes - that’s understandable. And also beautiful cloth napkins. They are handed out when the guests are already seated. It is better to entrust this task to one of your close relatives. You have enough to do. Now about the teapots. I don’t know about you, but we drink a lot of tea, a lot. Just have time to brew. Based on one kettle for three to four people. This is provided that everyone drinks the same type of tea. Only one relative of ours drinks black, the rest all drink only green. Moreover, if these are older women who usually have high blood pressure - here green tea is the best deal. It would also be nice to add some blackcurrant leaf there. For aroma and pleasure.
We drink tea from bowls. Uzbek specificity. Therefore, every housewife should have at least 20 of them. For noodles - kasa, or soup cups according to the number of guests. If you don't have enough, buy them, they are very cheap here. Beautiful salt shakers, pepper shakers, beautiful cups for chopped onions and dill - sprinkle on the noodles. This is the basis.
Menu.
First: noodles (tokmach), unconditionally and undeniably. If you respect your guests, the noodles should be homemade.
Second: potatoes with chicken in Tatar style. This is also immutable. Some call it elesh.
Third: you should definitely bake something yourself. The rest will be brought by your guests. I was preparing echpechmak.
Preliminary: dried fruits - black and yellow raisins, dried apricots, prunes, peanuts, sugared peanuts, fried peas, walnuts. All this is laid out highly artistically in tea saucers around the table. It’s nice to drink your first tea with this, and grannies love to put dried apricots and prunes in their tea. Don't forget to bring teaspoons here! Still good candies. I know from experience that our women respect souffles and marmalade in chocolate. That’s why I bought a little bit of different varieties, good ones from Kharkov and Donetsk from Katartal.
Vegetables: Serve tomatoes and cucumbers cut into oval slices. Add a little salt and decorate with herbs. Others are not accepted.
If there are several women in a family hosting Ash, everyone should cook. Since, besides me, there is now only Lyalka in the family, who only knows how to cook buckwheat with mushrooms, pasta, etc., she was given the opportunity to make belenlar - Tatar-style pancakes. Her pancakes turned out great. For this reason, I also had to run for kaymak to serve along with Lyalka’s pancakes. The pancakes were a great success.
- How old is your daughter? - Oltin-beke asked in Tatar, seeing such attention to the pancakes.
- un (ten)
“Well done, you’re raising your daughter right,” she said.
After which the doll was called from the men's and children's room for a general examination.
- Call the children, let them sit with us! - said Oltin-beke
Here the grandmothers of these children were alarmed: “They are so noisy!”
But I still went to the children and invited them to sit with the women for a while. But these little cousins had not seen each other for so long that they flatly refused. I was very sorry. Well, it's not evening yet.
Now in detail about what and how I cooked.
Two days before, I made wonderful homemade noodles using only flour, salt and eggs with a sunny orange yolk. (Proportions: two glasses of flour, 4 eggs and a teaspoon of salt)
The dough was juicy yellow and dense, like amber. I rolled it out in small pieces until the oilcloth pattern began to clearly appear on the table.
Now about the broth. I took two chickens. Young, with the most delicate skin, they were not even a year old. Carefully gutted, perfectly cleaned, with long necks. I get these from my favorite shop on Katartal. I turned one of them into a . She also put a mixture of kaymak and eggs inside. Boil it in a small amount of water. I strained the broth from a small amount of egg flakes and put it in the refrigerator for up to an hour.
Two hours before the appointed time, I set the second chicken to cook. Carefully removed the foam and reduced the power to minimum. She lowered a branch of green celery.
I took the Tutyrgan tovuk broth out of the refrigerator. In a small amount of this broth (salted) I boiled amber, elastic, small noodles. This is 20 minutes before serving.
Another part of the broth - boiled without salt, added dry dill, bay leaf, ground cilantro, boiled in it beautiful, young, halved young potatoes and three young thin carrots.
Having placed a steamer cup on this pan, I heated the tutyrgan tovuk, pre-cut into portions, for steam.
Cut part of the boiled (second) chicken into small pieces. Tovuk added the remaining broth from Tutyrgan to the main broth. (By the way, young, tender chickens cook in an hour and a half. After two, they are boiled to fluff.)
So everything is ready. (I haven’t yet described here that at six in the morning, I wrapped them in foil and wrapped them in a warm flannelette blanket. They were still hot at 12:00)
When it was time to serve the noodles, I arranged the casas on the kitchen table according to the number of guests. Each one contains a portion of boiled hand noodles, to which I also added a little butter so that they do not stick together. A handful of chicken meat. Here, thanks to my husband, who, seeing that I was “stitching up”, and he was controlling me, stood up to the stove (this is an unacceptable phenomenon in our family), and began pouring transparent amber broth into the casseroles. My eldest and I just had to carry it.
The noodles were good.
Place the potatoes boiled in rich chicken broth on a dish. I salted it, steaming, with coarse salt. Sprinkled with carrots, cut into pennies. Placed pieces of chicken stuffed with eggs under the skin on top. The egg mixture with kaymak and pepper was poured into the carcass, cut into cubes, and placed around the edges of the dish. Decorated with sprigs of green parsley. Sprinkled with dill.
They ate with pleasure, praised it, it was pleasant. My mother-in-law said that I had oltin kullar - golden hands, and was proud of me. Mom said something about me in Tatar with incredible speed. I didn't have time to understand. “What were you saying?” - I asked later. “I praised her,” my mother answered sparingly.
There was also a beautiful Gubadiya from her mother-in-law:
Balish with cherries and apples, homemade crumbly sesame kazinaki, kush-tili (brushwood) and much more:
Now with feeling and arrangement the whole process.
We warned the neighbor opposite not to play his favorite “Bolalar” loudly. They warned the neighbor downstairs that his favorite antediluvian “Gaza Strip” was not the topic today, and in general nothing was the topic today. They warned the relative drunk from the next door that today he would be rowdy in another yard. Because it's warm and all the windows are open.
The neighbors were understanding.
- At 12 00 guests begin to gather. The hostess meets with each one herself, kisses, hugs, accepts containers of gifts.
- The youngest is at the handout of slippers.
- For those who are in the house for the first time, we walk them around the house and demonstrate what is what. Introducing the household, for those who don’t know.
- Next, everyone goes to the bathroom to wash their hands. There should be plenty of towels hanging here.
- We take the guests to the room where the meeting will take place.
- When the abystai - the woman who will “read” - comes, we take her to the bathroom, then to the living room, seat her in a place of honor, call all our relatives, and introduce her one by one. After which she will invite all your household members to sit down and “honor your family,” that is, she will say the words of a prayer asking you to grant your home all the best.
- You rush off to make tea and serve. Brew and serve endlessly.
- In between, you accept gifts and serve some of them on the table in pre-prepared plates. At the same time, you voice each dish, naming its author.
- Finally, everyone has gathered. There will be the first prayer.
- Then you drink tea with goodies on the table. You, as a hostess, must make sure that each guest puts on her plate from each gift. It doesn’t matter that it’s impossible to eat it all. All this will be “read” and each will take these gifts with her, to her family.
- Next to the abystai who will be reading, on the table, we leave some space so that she can put her books. As soon as she takes out the books, we stop drinking tea and the main action begins. Reading a holy book. The reading woman herself will make it clear when the time comes to “fold your hands in prayer.” It doesn't bother you, does it? You don't have to do this. Or you can repeat the gesture. There is no sacrilege in this. And at such a table your religion does not matter at all. After all, what difference does it make in what language the words of the prayer are spoken? Therefore, everyone can join. Everything here is open and democratic.
- Reading takes at least an hour. This is a peaceful and blissful process. Relax and trust a person who knows what he is doing. Before this, by the way, it would be nice to pour some tea into everyone’s bowls so that the water takes on the sacred vibration. You will then taste this tea, and it will seem extraordinary to you.
- Abystai reads the texts until the time for prayer comes. She will give you a sign. And you take her to a room where she can pray in peace.
- At this time - a bullet into the kitchen. Now the noodles - Tokmach and potatoes with chicken - Elesh should be served. Finely chopped greens - lamb onions are best. And tea, tea, tea.
- Then you eat and talk about life. (We talked about Tatar cuisine. Naturally, I directed it in this direction, and they talked and talked...)
“Then Abystai will give a sign again, and the time for thanksgiving prayers will come again.”
- Here you bring out scarves and give gifts to each guest. Put some money in the gift for abystai - the amount is quite small. But that’s not the point, is it? Ask each guest to put any gifts from the table in the bags they bring. And make sure that no one is embarrassed to do this. Abystai need special care. She will put a little - take her bag and add more of everything.
- Next, you rush headlong into the kitchen to put some of the set aside gifts into the dishes you brought and return them to each housewife. If anyone has elderly or sick people at home, here is a jar of noodles with chicken, potatoes with chicken in a plastic container (they are ready), additional sweets, etc.
- Hug again, kiss and say words of gratitude.
Now I have a unique hour-long recording of religious Tatar chants and invaluable experience.
Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar - all the guests, young and old, repeat after the mullah.
Today, relatives were gathering at my Eldest Brother Rafael’s house. They remembered those who had passed on to another world. We, the Tatars, call it “Koren Ashy.” Everything was done in the best traditions.
On the table are sweets, fruits, dried fruits, salt, honey, katyk, korot, lemon (slices), black bread. Food can be more varied, if possible. Brother had everything to the maximum. The daughter-in-law baked cakes, pies, chak-chak. Yes, and all the gifts that guests bring (this is also prescribed in a kind of etiquette) are supposed to be placed on the table.
The main course is noodle soup. Just broth and noodles. It’s great if different meats are cooked - it turns out rich and aromatic. Served in deep plates.
After the soup - "olesh" - meat, potatoes, carrots, cabbage - all in small plates.
then - tea and belesh - a sweet pie with rice, dried apricots and raisins.
During the process, guests eat treats from the table, talk, and socialize.
This is after the official part.
Before all this, prayer. Reading surahs from the Koran, sermon.
Afterwards, they distribute alms - money (from 5 to 50-100 rubles. In fact, it doesn’t matter HOW MUCH), handkerchiefs, tea, towel, soap. You need to start with the mullah, and then distribute it to the guests clockwise.
Women, as a rule, are young relatives, daughters-in-law of the housewife, “in the wings”: they take out dishes, look after guests, pour tea. In a word, they don’t sit at the table, they help. Among them today were me, My Elder Sister Tanslu, Oksana, the wife of My Younger Brother Talgat.
Girls must wear scarves, dresses with long sleeves, men must wear shirts and skullcaps.
Elderly representatives of our family also arrived. Talgat went for Khafisa Abi to Zaton, and Rashat-Babai from Baygildino-ya. On the way back from the village to Ufa we stopped by Raisa Abi and Ildar. All the way we talked with him about marketing research in the magazine, about competitions, about the drop in circulation and ways to increase it. We will need to discuss the issues with the General Staff.
Brother Rafael gave each departing person a gift of a jar of honey, meat, and sweets from the table - this is how it is supposed to be, so that the family members also try the food blessed by prayer.
The day that began at 07.30 in the morning ended at this time when I am writing these lines. Fatigue in the legs and body.
There was some nervousness, but I created it for myself. My brother again instructed me to take pictures. This is already infuriating me... because in the end I am not in any family photographs.
I refused, my brother entrusted this to his son. We made two general photographs, using different cameras. During the event, my brother’s friend went and took photos to give to everyone present. Naturally, I wasn’t in these photos; I took these shots. Not my destiny, in short, not my destiny. Everything is there, but I am not there. Bullshit, but a little unpleasant.
I also noticed that I stopped loving family celebrations. all because for now I am forced to attend them alone. What to do with this?.. It seems to me that it catches the eye of everyone - brothers have wives, sisters have husbands, everyone has children - but I have none.
It's an unhealthy feeling, I understand.
These are the mixed feelings in the soul instead of unconditional joy and prosperity.
All curious people will be able to see photos from the event in the next post under the cut.
Ash is a kind of feast among the Tatars, at which Muslim prayers are read, then guests are treated to delicious dishes. Each locality has its own. I'll tell you about ours.
They prepare in advance: preparations are made (baking, cutting noodles, etc.), tables are set based on the number of guests. When guests arrive, this should be what they should expect:
Must be on the table
such as chopped fresh fruits, dried fruits, fresh and (or) pickled vegetables, homemade katyk (nowadays more often purchased), homemade baked goods: pies, baursak, chak-chak, cash-tel (such as brushwood) - this depends on the possibility and organizing skills (only women cook). Like that:
Of course, a hundred years ago there were no salads and fish slices with sweets on the tables, but the main thing is the same, judging by the stories of grandmothers.
Guests arrive, sit down at the table, and after the official part, the hostess and her assistants (relatives are always invited, or, if there are no suitable ones, neighbors or friends, since there are usually more than a dozen guests - there were about 70 here with children) hand out soup with noodles:
Usually - chicken with homemade noodles, often a little potatoes, onions (well, this is a must), and finely grated carrots are added to the soup. Top with fresh chopped herbs.
Then the belesh with rice and dried fruits is brought out, this is a very traditional dish, it is so necessary that if the hostess, in her troubles, decides not to cook, the guests will not understand, although there is already so much food:
It is prepared in approximately the same way as the one that was shown here http://liya-fa.livejournal.com/29316.html the filling is, of course, different, someday I’ll prepare it, I’ll tell you in more detail :)
And only after it are brought out plates with potatoes (usually mashed potatoes), on top of stewed or boiled beef and poultry: here goose, duck, and tuturgan tauk: chicken stuffed with an egg mixture with cream - one of the most delicious dishes of Tatar cuisine, believe me)). Don’t pay too much attention to the table, everything needs to be done quickly there: guests, usually elderly, don’t like to wait, so I only managed to click the last two, and there were 15 of them):
The guests also ate meat, don’t ask why it comes after rice with dried fruits - it’s a tradition. I record everything in a clear sequence. After you have had your fill of the offered dishes + salads (they are at the request and preference of the hostess, not at all obligatory), tea is served.
Oh, what a great shot that would be! Out of 56 cups... but the author of this post at that moment quickly poured tea into cups with her sister and 4 more were instantly served to the guests. So all you have to do is take your word for it, there was definitely tea :))
As for drinks, juices and compotes are often put on the table; in the meantime (as it’s going now, I’ll write more) water is a must. Additions - depending on the wishes of the hosts and their financial capabilities, however, many guests themselves bring to the tables: some - sweets, some - katyk, pies, cookies, maybe gubadia (layer cake with rice, raisins, eggs, boiled cottage cheese (court )) bring. Differently. Perhaps in other regions of the republic there is something different. I know that in Cheremshansky they make belesh with buckwheat and raisins, but ours didn’t appreciate it)) - everyone has their own traditions and I’m writing only for my region and city. In many houses I helped on Asha - everywhere it’s about the same :)
Now the poll. Should I write briefly about the official and religious part (there won’t be a photo - it’s impossible). I’ll write a lock under the *eye* anyway, because... All the entries here are for me personally and perhaps they will be useful to me in the future, so for now the impressions are fresh.
point - I’m afraid: I’m reading negative posts about Islam from people who don’t understand this at all, but apparently, yes, they are afraid and are absurdly panicking.
At the gates of the house there is a cluster of cars with license plates of different regions. Today here is Koren Ashy - a dinner party dedicated to the memory of deceased parents and relatives. From both sides of the street, grandmothers living in the neighborhood come up to the appointed hour. Apparently a lot of people were invited.
The hostess of the house, wearing a scarf tied at the back of her head in Tatar style, cordially welcomes guests, offering both hands as a sign of respect for older people and loved ones, thanking everyone for taking the time and coming and respecting her family.
Folk traditions and religious customs are the way of life of the Tatars. Rules of communication, norms of behavior in everyday life, at the table, at a party - everything is instilled with mother’s milk and reinforced in adolescence. Ancient family and household rituals can be observed in the guest culture of the Tatars. I know many who traditionally hold dinner parties in honor of the arrival of relatives from afar, an anniversary or the golden wedding of their parents without alcohol, noisy dancing, but with the obligatory reading of prayers.
The organizer of the Majlis invites everyone to the house. The guests arrived at the jien - a gathering of relatives - not empty-handed; according to tradition, they brought gifts. At the doorstep of the house they are warmly greeted by married women. Today, the older daughters-in-law will not sit down until the last guest leaves the house. They will run around like clockwork, daughters and granddaughters - to the rescue. This is the custom!
I remember when I was a child, my grandmother would take me to dinner parties. Then they were called olylar (elderly) or kartlar (old people) ashy. As a rule, only grandparents who could read Arabic were invited to Koren Ashy. By the way, separate feasts for men and women in this Muslim ritual are still observed today. Khediche abystai - the mullah's wife read the Koran, and her daughter-in-law Minegayan served refreshments. The old women sat decorously on the floor, on linen rugs and cushions. According to custom, a long homespun towel was laid on their knees - ozyn tastymal, symbolizing the unity of people during the ritual.
Much has changed in life since then - fashion for clothes, household items, haircuts. Instead of wooden houses, people built good-quality brick cottages, and foreign cars replaced horse-drawn carts. But my fellow countrymen also invite old people and elderly relatives to Koren Ashy. No difficulties could make the people forget this ancient tradition. Tatar Majlises are always held hospitably, with wishes of well-being to its organizers, peaceful life on earth and prosperity to our homeland.
The tables, covered with snow-white openwork oilcloth, have a special touch: beautiful dishes, a lot of oriental sweets and aromatic delicacies. Men in skullcaps, women in scarves and clothes with long sleeves sit and talk about life. Many people came to Dzhien with their entire families from different cities, traveling hundreds of kilometers.
- It is not customary to refuse an invitation unless there is a good reason. For example, you may not come to Sabantuy or New Year, but you can’t miss Koryen Asha! Old people say it's a sin. But I believe that we must protect folk traditions as the sources of spirituality and morality, and show respect for customs ancestors- Yash Kilen Leysan shares (this is how the Tatars call the youngest daughter-in-law or wife of a grandson).
Finally, everyone took their seats in a disciplined manner. Minigayan apa (the same daughter-in-law who served the grandmothers a treat 50 years ago) was asked to read the prayer. Following the instructions, she read the first surah of the Koran “al-fatiha” and a prayer to the house (dua kylu). Then came moral instructions. The elderly woman spoke simply and at the same time convincingly. The core of the ritual dedicated to the memory of the dead was the reading of the sura, verses from the Koran and the distribution of donations, that is, sadaqa. Money, scented soap, handkerchiefs, towels, tea were distributed by both young and old women, each thinking about their good intentions. Some asked Allah to forgive the sins of the deceased, others - healing for a sick relative, others - peace on earth and family well-being. And someone simply bought a new car and distributed sadaka so that Allah would take care of it on the road.
Some of the money was placed in a skullcap; the mistress of the house will give it to the village mosque to help the disabled, orphans and the needy. And Minegayan apa read a prayer, asking the Almighty for health to everyone who made a donation, and for the well-being of the home in which the Koran is read.
The ritual ceremony continued with refreshments for the guests. According to Islamic ethics, they were given wet wipes (and there used to be towels!). Then they said the prayer “Bismillaahir-Rahmanir-Rahiim - in the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful” and began to eat, observing moderation in food.
Treats were brought out in a certain order. First they served tokmach - homemade noodles, then zur belesh. This is a large closed pie with beef meat, potatoes and onions, very tasty and filling. As the Tatars say, if you taste it, you will feel both spring and summer in your soul. The traditional treat was boiled potatoes with beef and onions, drenched in hot broth.
In Russian, dear guests are greeted with bread and salt; the Tatars always serve chak-chak on special occasions - a national dish that symbolizes the unity and hospitality of our people. A separate dish was fragrant tea with strong brew and thick cream. This is the main treat of the Tatars, which you need to drink at least three cups - with honey, jam, chak-chak, gubadia, baklava, halva... And always hot! Drink an invigorating drink with your friends, and your strength will triple, they said in the old days.
Koren ashi also ended with a prayer. All together, the guests raised their palms to their faces, uttered words of gratitude to the Almighty for the food sent down, asked for blessings, mental and physical, and, having sincerely said rahmat, that is, thank you, to the owners of the house, for their hospitality and warm welcome, they slowly began to go home.
Razilya SHAKIROVA