Two weddings and four funerals
I obviously cannot keep a blog up-to-date so I’m not even going to make any excuses. And I can't figure out how to put in any pictures so words shall have to do.
We’ve been having alot of funerals here. My first Gambian funeral was when, just a little over a month ago, the baby boy in my compound died. A few days later, one of the elders died. Soon after that, one of my Jarju relatives, a man who had epilepsy that had affected his mental capacity, died. He often sat under the big tree or wandered throughout the neighborhood saying, “Yo, yo, yo.” And then just this past weekend, we had another man die, leaving behind a young widow.
When someone dies, everything sort of stops and the community goes and sits in the family’s compound. The women cover their heads, words are spoken quietly and no laughter; occasionally the women cry and wail. The men prepare the grave and the body. After prayers, the men accompany the body to the cemetery for the burial. The women pound raw rice into a powder and mix it with sugar and then give each person a handful. When the men return from the cemetery, people begin to leave, stopping to pay their respects to the widow/family and giving some monetary gift.
Three days later, and then again forty days later, there is a charity. That is basically a reminder to pray for the deceased and to contribute money again to the family.
I’ve also attended two weddings. These are 3-5 day celebrations of food, dance and drumming. There is often a disco, a traditional dance time, lots of food, fun and laughter among the guests and family. I spent 2 days at a wedding in Serrekunda, a nearby city. Basically you stayed up and talked and danced all night, when you were tired, you found a place and slept. I went to bed at midnight on a large bed with 2 other women. I woke during the night with a child nestled on one side and someone else against my back. In the morning, half the bed was empty then it was me, the child, and another adult. The little girl woke up, crept up and kissed me good morning, and then fell back to sleep. Once I got my glasses on, I realized the other adult was the bride’s FATHER!!
We’ve been having alot of funerals here. My first Gambian funeral was when, just a little over a month ago, the baby boy in my compound died. A few days later, one of the elders died. Soon after that, one of my Jarju relatives, a man who had epilepsy that had affected his mental capacity, died. He often sat under the big tree or wandered throughout the neighborhood saying, “Yo, yo, yo.” And then just this past weekend, we had another man die, leaving behind a young widow.
When someone dies, everything sort of stops and the community goes and sits in the family’s compound. The women cover their heads, words are spoken quietly and no laughter; occasionally the women cry and wail. The men prepare the grave and the body. After prayers, the men accompany the body to the cemetery for the burial. The women pound raw rice into a powder and mix it with sugar and then give each person a handful. When the men return from the cemetery, people begin to leave, stopping to pay their respects to the widow/family and giving some monetary gift.
Three days later, and then again forty days later, there is a charity. That is basically a reminder to pray for the deceased and to contribute money again to the family.
I’ve also attended two weddings. These are 3-5 day celebrations of food, dance and drumming. There is often a disco, a traditional dance time, lots of food, fun and laughter among the guests and family. I spent 2 days at a wedding in Serrekunda, a nearby city. Basically you stayed up and talked and danced all night, when you were tired, you found a place and slept. I went to bed at midnight on a large bed with 2 other women. I woke during the night with a child nestled on one side and someone else against my back. In the morning, half the bed was empty then it was me, the child, and another adult. The little girl woke up, crept up and kissed me good morning, and then fell back to sleep. Once I got my glasses on, I realized the other adult was the bride’s FATHER!!
posted by belovedtoo at
8:12 AM
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