Tij!

Yesterday, dear reader, was the women's festival, Tij. During this festival women fast in order to ensure a long and successfull life for their husbands, and therefore themselves. During the fast, pious women will not even drink water, saying that "A drop of water is like drinking your husband's blood." The night before they stuff themselves with sweets and other "nutritious foods" such as khir, a delicious Nepali rice pudding. Sometimes they eat all night! My family ate alot, but not all night :) . In the morning they do puja to Shiva. First they dress up to the nines. Nepali women get an excuse to wear their wedding dress every year! How fun is that! Most women wear red, the color of joy. I like blue though so I bought a blue sari for the occasion. My older sisters (which I didn't know I had!) came home to their mother's house for Tij and did my makeup. They had makeup kits like little American girls, but treated them very seriously. They wore sunscreen as foundation! Cultural differences... When we were all dressed, we went to the temple. There was a tent set up and many women in red gathered under it. There was a band singing devotional songs and women dancing. I was gently forced into the middle, the stage if you will, and asked to dance. I copied what other people were doing to the audience's immense pleasure. They made me dance for a long time. I was afraid my sari would fall off! It was a blast. That night we broke the fast eating bhaat (rice) and vegetables.

It was fun. I put pictures on facebook if you want to see them! http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30660639&id=48102325

Hailey