Back home I woke up Monday morning feeling like death warmed over, and turned on BBC radio. A man was announcing in Swahili that today was most certainly Eid al-fitr, for all of East Africa, and that anyone who said otherwise was wrong. He was the leader of some large Muslim organization in Kenya, so I figured that was good enough for me, and I went back to sleep. I was too sick to get up anyhow.
Later that day, of course, I find out that in Tanzania, or at least in Newala, today was NOT Eid, and it will be tomorrow, which means the day after (Wednesday) is also a holiday. Thus, basically my whole week is shot. I was told this discrepancy stems from the fact that there is no agreement between Shia and Sunni or even between Kenyan and Tanzanian Muslims on when it is officially Eid. I think it’s just a clever way to stretch a two day holiday into a 3-day event, but I didn‘t complain, I needed the rest. Africa wins again.
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