A few sheep show up about a week before the Festival of Sacrifice. A few days later, they're everywhere - garages, empty lots, by front doors, tied to car door handles - most of them brown and black with touches of white,  not to mention the short sweeps of neon pink spray paint that mark their destiny.

The knife sharpener's wheel never stops.  It can seem a bit grisly.

But the Feast of Sacrifice, outlined by the prophet Mohammed in honor of the faith of Abraham - is upon Manial, Cairo, Egypt.

Ritual Sacrifice

Looked at one way, the sacrifice of the sheep is a simply a ritual remembrance of the story of Abraham and his son, Isaac.  Both the Qu'ran and the Old Testament of the Bible say that Allah or God tested Abraham's faith by asking him to sacrifice the boy.  Just as Abraham was near to meeting Allah''s command, He interrupted, providing him with a lamb to sacrifice instead.

So these Manial sheep will be killed as a reminder of the unfaltering nature of  Abraham's faith.   Their dying will be quick: a strong slice to the throat and a moment of bleeding before their eyes go blank. The butcher commends the sacrifice to Allah. 

But Eid is a religious festival and so the meaning of sacrifice inevitably multiplies. 

Personal Sacrifice

It's not only sheep who sacrifice, as believers will be reminded during dawn prayers.  The alleys will rustle with footsteps as men and women make their way to prayers.  They'll overflow the mosques  and cluster on streets.  On Manial some gather on the edge of the Nile for prayers under the rising sun.

The iman is likely to talk about sacrifice, especially as an element in sharing; how Mohammed always urged followers to remember the poor and the orphaned and how a community of believers must look after one another.

People who have the means  give to those who have not.

First to go is one-third of the Eid lamb; butchered, personally wrapped and delivered in person to less-fortunate family members, friends and neighbors; another third is donated to the unknown poor and needy; the final third remains with the family who bought the animal - to share in a feast with friends.

As might be expected, customs are changing.  Many object to the slaughter of sheep on the streets, calling it unsanitary.  Others think it better to distribute cash instead of meat. Today some donate their Eid-share to organizations which distribute healthy meals to families in need throughout the year.

All who can afford it, give monetary gifts to their maid or driver or doorman.

Community Binding

Meanwhile, out on the streets, balloons float. Colored lights string through trees.   Children sport new clothes.  Families visit each others homes. Kids chase each other in parks. Girls cluster and giggle.  Glittery young couples coo along pathways next to the Nile.  There will be treats.