‘Eid al-Adha
March 5, 2001 (Gaza, Palestine)
The cow’s throat is slit, allowing the blood to drain out of it.
The feast is a celebration of the substitutionary sacrifice of a sheep for Abraham's son Ishmael (in the Bible's version, it's Isaac). If they can afford a cow, often families will hire a professional butcher to come and do the job, but there are only so many butchers to go around. So this family hired a couple of laborers.
After removing the head and hooves, the animal is skinned.
Next, the animal is carved into parts.
The cow's nostrils were stopped to subdue it as they brought it to the ground. As they held it still, they recited a prayer of thanksgiving. Then the cow's throat was slit, allowing the blood to drain out of it as the heart continued to pump.
Finally, the meat is hung. Eventually, the meat will be shared - not only with the family, but with those who might not have the means to celebreate.
It took the animal about five minutes to die. Then head and hooves were removed, it was skinned, the organs were removed, and it was carved into parts and hung. The family keeps some, but most of the meat is given to the poor and other family members as they visit each other.
We've seen one sacrifice - that's enough for this year.