By Adama Kone, Teacher Project Coordinator
Tradition means a lot to the Malian people! We deeply love our traditions, and many things are passed on from generation to generation such as long greetings, handshakes, and blessings.
One of these traditional things that children learn very early is giving and receiving blessings during two annual feasts, Tabaski and Ramadan. Tabaski was just celebrated a the end of July, and even in the time of COVID-19, our traditions continued.
Feast days like Tabaski follow a familiar pattern for children. The kids would first have their breakfasts and pray with adults in the morning at public places around 9 am. They are usually all excited to be at public spaces with their parents. The kids love to be dressed up and they love the people who say they look so very chic!
Young girls in Mali, all dressed up, are read to go door-to-door granting blessings and gathering gifts and money in return during celebrations for Tabaski.
After they all have prayed together with their parents, children walk down streets in small groups blessing and receiving blessings. Girls gather in groups with other girls, while boys form their own small groups. The groups do not mingle and mix!
When the children enter a house they are very excited and dressed up. The kids greet and bless the entire family within the home. Sometimes, they greet and bless people on streets too. In exchange for these blessing, adults give the children some money. The amount depends on how much the adults can give, but they try to be as nice and encouraging to the children as possible. Some people would just buy packs of candy and give that to the kids during their door-to-door visits.
This door-to-door tradition is respected everywhere in Mali. The children’s’ visits go on for three days in after the feast. When the kids come to a family, people often notice which kid is the most talkative one of all. The most talkative one is usually the one who starts blessing and responding to people. Whoever that talkative child is is not shy at all, and they would usually keep anything they are given as gift. Kids spend all day going from door to door and at the end of the day, they share the money they earned among themselves. Everyone gets some money and is free to spend it on whatever they want to.
