Eid Al Fitr is an important religious holiday marking the end of Ramadan the Islamic holy month of fasting.

Quiet by coincidence I was in Luxor at that time. I had learned how important this celebration is for Egyptians and was looking forward to it. My friends, an Egyptian family invited me to share the feast with them, and being an outsider I felt honored.

It is customary to kill a lamb for this occasion – part of it is for the family and a part of it has to be given to the poor . My host showed me the flock from which they would choose the one for this years feast.

When the poor creature was about to lose its life I excused myself and went back to my hotel.

A few hours later I returned to see how the meal was prepared. Here are some of the images of going from the stable to the table.

It is the job of the women of the house to cut up the animal

This is what it looks like when being served, after several hours of cooking

The preparation did not make the meat tender. and I refused a second helping by telling my host that I was not a big eater.

The practice of killing a lamb for this occasion is still alive in the country side. However, in the city like Cairo butchers do the job and sell it by the pound.

More from Egypt soon

Brigitte