When there is a funeral here, large, temporary tents are constructed in the street in front of the residence of the deceased. Yesterday, I noticed that my neighbor was putting one up outside of his house, which I thought was strange because I hadn’t noticed any grandmas or grandpas living there. I was a bit annoyed by the whole thing though, because the way our street is set up, blocking off that side of the road was going to turn by ten minute walk to the store into a 40 minute one. I was worried for nothing though, because on my way out today, I noticed a small passage way to the side, and was able to skirt around it.
As I came home, I ran into my neighbor in my yard. He often passes through to go to the house behind mine, which is strange, but simply the way things are done here. I asked him who died and he laughed.
“No one. We’re circumcising my son.”
Circumcision parties are called “little weddings,” and the boy, who is around 4, gets dressed up and gets paired up with a little girl and they have a fake little wedding.
I got over feeling dumb for confusing a funeral with a circumcision pretty quickly because I feel bad for the kid. He’s about to enter a world of pain. Then again, I heard they get a ton of loot for this, so it’s not all bad.
10 responses so far ↓
scary azeri // June 16, 2009 at 5:57 pm |
I thought it was the norm for american boys as well?
northwestjeff // June 16, 2009 at 6:12 pm |
not this hippy baby. (tmi?)
and we do it to them before they’d ever remember, which i have to think is a little kinder.
update: now that i’ve thought about it. the whole thing is a barbaric tradition that dates back thousands of years that has no relevancy in today’s world.
Frances Miller // June 19, 2009 at 9:21 pm |
It may be barbaric but all Jewish males are circumcised at 8 days old, to this day. It is a sign of being Jewish and Hitler used this to identify the Jewish men.
northwestjeff // June 20, 2009 at 12:55 pm |
i stand by my previous statement. it’s an outdated tradition.
scott balogh // June 25, 2009 at 2:28 pm |
There are numerous references in the bible to circumcision, like God telling the Israelites to kill everyone in a certain region who has not been circumcised.
Frances Miller // June 26, 2009 at 6:01 am |
Scott: Which chapter and verse would that be in? Thank you.
scott balogh // June 28, 2009 at 2:15 pm |
Frances, I do not have that info easily at hand. But in reading the old testament recently, through the first 10 or eleven books (revised international translation) I am impressed at how often the circumcision aspect comes in to play.
scary azeri // July 2, 2009 at 9:16 pm |
I would dare to suggest perhaps both should be considered outdated? I sincerely hope the killing is anyway.
Frances Miller // July 3, 2009 at 10:20 pm |
Scott, I am still waiting to hear which chapter and verse that is in. Now that scary azery has read your comment and replied, I am afraid there may be other people who read what you’ve written and accept it as truth. You might have written a phrase as true, but it may be untrue and you would not want to spread rumors like that. After all, it was for a long time that people accused Jews of killing Christ and that is not true, either. That comment does not encourage peace in a world of unpeace. So, Scott, the chapter and verse, please.
Frances
Frances Miller // July 3, 2009 at 11:05 pm |
Scary azery: It sounds as though you are accepting something Scott has written as truth.
Scott has not answered where he read, what chapter and verse, that Jews killed people. In my limited knowledge, I have never heard such a thing as Jews killing any people. Before you accept that as truth, Scott has to tell us where he read that and its source.
Frances