Mauritanians mark Ramadan with traditional games and neighbourly visits

2009-09-03

Everyday life takes a backseat as Mauritania celebrates Ramadan with prayer, feasting and games.

By Mohamed Yahya Abdel Wedoud for Magharebia in Nouakchott – 03/09/09

[Georges Gobet/AFP/Getty Images] Ramadan is a lively time for Mauritanians, who enjoy feasts and play traditional games.

Mauritanians are celebrating the arrival of Ramadan, for which they have been preparing both financially and spiritually. Changes in daily routines mark the holy month, as families and workers shape their schedules around praying and fasting.

As soon as the sun sets and the evening adhan rings out, families rush to gather around iftar tables.

Glasses of tea clatter cheerfully, while azreek (a popular mixture of milk and water) fills cups across the table. Thirst is finally quenched and the whole country comes to life, after a scorching day in which temperatures may soar over 40 degrees in some regions.

After finishing the iftar, Mauritanians head individually or collectively towards the mosques for the evening taraweeh prayers. Crowds cram the mosques as verses of the Qur'an are recited aloud, leaving the streets nearly empty. Spirituality envelopes everyone and takes the focus away from the bustle of life, as Muslims pray for forgiveness from Allah.

"I notice that many young people come here in search of spiritual bliss, which this month symbolizes in the eyes of Muslims," said Mohamed Saed, 35, before heading into the mosque. "The elderly prefer to go into seclusion (i’tikaf), following the example of the Prophet (PBUH)."

Muslim women often perform the taraweeh prayers in their houses, based on a Muslim fatwa. "It is better for a woman to pray in her house to avoid mixing with men," said professor of Islamic studies Lemrabott Ould Wedou.

Other women venture to the mosque to pray, standing in queues of their own behind those of the men. One woman, who chose not to disclose her name, told Magharebia, "I don't think there's any reason why we, as women, can't go out and pray in mosques, as long as we abide by Islam's rules."

After prayers, traditional games such as ekrour and essik dominate the Ramadan nightlife, especially for women. Women throughout the country form teams and compete with each other.

Ekrour is played with fifteen small balls, divided between four and six holes, needing at least two players. Whoever saves the most balls from falling in the holes wins the game.

Essik is a traditional game in which there are seven small pieces of wood, painted black on one side and white on the other. One player drops all the pieces on the floor, and the goal is to get as many pieces as possible to land with the black side up. From two to twelve people can play, and the games sometimes last as long as two hours.

"I've formed teams with my girlfriends to play essik in the evening after dinner since the first night of Ramadan. It is a traditional hobby we pursue every year in order to relax and unwind," said Selma, 45, from the city of Zouérat in north Mauritania.

Some women play the games out of a sense of nostalgia. Zeineb, a woman in her forties, said, "My mother and her girlfriends were accustomed to playing those traditional women's games in the quiet nights of Ramadan after dinner, but of course not at the expense of their worshipping time," she said. "Nowadays, we play essik and ekrour in remembrance of those women who managed to win the best of both worlds," she said, smiling. "Life is not all about worshipping, and people are not angels."

Given the popularity of such games, it's clear that spiritual pursuits do not completely dominate the lives of Mauritanians during Ramadan. As soon as taraweeh prayers are over, flocks of praying Muslims head home for green tea and dinner, and visits with the neighbors.

When dawn arrives, mosques are again filled with worshippers, who hope that Allah will answer their prayers and relieve their troubles. After prayers, the crowds disperse and head home, not to eat this time, but to catch a few hours' sleep before they head out for work.

At the start of Ramadan, the government cuts work time by two hours for all civil servants except those employed in hospitals and security offices. This "gives civil servants an opportunity to help in their households and spend more time with their families," said Lalla Ment Mohamed, a civil servant.