AÏD EL-ADHA

The "Feast of the Sacrifice" celebrates Abraham's submission to Allah who asked him to sacrifice his son. When he placed the blade under the throat of his son, the archangel Gabriel replaced it with a sheep. Since then, in memory of this biblical episode, each family traditionally slaughters a sheep. It is prepared as mansaf, the Jordanian national dish. The mutton is cooked in fermented goat's milk and served with oily rice. But the table is set with many other dishes, including the famous sugar-laden pastries.