Eid ul Fitr

It seems really weird that only two short weeks ago school started up again and then, this week is punctuated with two holidays smack in the middle of the week.  This week, Muslims all over the world celebrated Eid ul Fitr, which marks the end of Ramaddan.  Click here to find out more about this huge Mulsim holiday.  Since moving to Nigeria, I have had my eyes opened to so many different and new things.  One of the many eye opening experiences I have had here is realizing that Islam is second only to Christianity in terms of the number of people in the world who practice it.  After Christianity and Islam come Buddhism and Hinduism.  Click here for more information of the populations of the four biggest world religions.  It's funny how I grew up in the U.S. and thought I knew so much about the world, but it is humbling how ethnocentric I was.  I always knew there were people of other religions, but like so many people, I really never knew anyone of a different faith than me.  So, while living here, I have met several Muslims and have learned a little more about their culture.

Although we are not Muslim, we did find a way to have fun over the two holidays this week.  Yesterday, we braved the wet weather ( which came back again after the short August break...it seems we are still very much in the rainy season here). We ventured out on the boat to the beach with the philosophy of " If it's bad weather over here...the weather will be great at the beach!" which has always held true every time we have gone out there....that is, until yesterday...

But the company was good, and the kids LOVED it.  We even had a small lesson on sharing with some of the children from the village.  We had a few extra beach toys which Elizabeth and Jeremy decided to share with the children out at the beach. :)  They are learning life lessons here which I really didn't learn until i moved here as an adult.

We flew kites...what can I say, when life hands you lemons, make lemonade!!! When life gives you wind and rain...use the wind to fly a kite!!!:)

playing with the children from the village

Lizzy flying her kite:)

Children from the village loved the beach balls:)

Over the past two days, I have learned to understand another religion just a little bit more.  And understanding something which we don't know about is what helps us to explore the world a little bit more.  Even though I am not Muslim, I can see a bit more into their world.  So, Eid Sa'Eed ( Happy Eid!) to Muslims all over the world.