La fete du Korite

Last Friday was the feast of Korite, the Islamic celebration concluding a month of fasting for Ramadan. During Ramadan, Muslims don't eat from sunrise to sunset to learn patience and humility. They ask for forgiveness for past transgressions and try to make themselves clean through good deeds and praying more frequently. Each year Ramadan changes because it is based on the lunar cycle. The end of Ramadan comes when the moon appears full in the sky, so naturally the night before Korite I spent sitting on the roof with my brother, waiting for the moon to shine.
Korite began in Dakar when the moon shown overhead. The streets came a live with the Senegalese chattering and loud music playing. In my household, Korite began very early Friday morning with cooking and cleaning. At 9 AM my brother and father went to mosque while the women continued with the task at hand. By 11 the men returned and we were ready to eat laax. Laax is a millet porridge covered with a sweet white yogurt.

The front gate was open all day welcoming any visitors from near and far away. Many people stopped by for a visit, greeting each member of my family with a handshake and a "Baal ma aq!" (This is the Wolof phrase for "excuse me"; however, it is used in a religious context here, excusing the other person from their sins). Visitors and family members came at any point in the day. The tradition of slightly-smoked chicken and Morroccan coos-coos was served admist the day's activities about 3PM.
One of the most important aspects of Korite for the Senegalese is the acquisition of a new booboo. The booboo is a the traditional garment worn by men and women. For men it takes the form of a loose-fitting pants and shirt and for women it is a long beautiful dress and head-covering. My small cousin Hadetah looked the most stunning in her new garb.

Today we are going to visit l'Isle de Goree, a very important historical site. It was the central port for bring Africans to the Americas for slavery.