ashura

This evening our doorbell unexpectedly rang. The Hater answered to find two gentlemen holding a tray of Noah's Pudding. They said they were from Turkey and this was one of their traditions. We were given two shares.

This is from an informational sheet we were given with the pudding:

Noah's Pudding is a sweet dish or dessert celebrating the landing of Noah's Ark to the Earth. The making of Noah's Pudding is a common practice among the Armenian, Greek, Syrian and Aramaic Christians as well as Turkish, Kurdish and Syrian Muslims and Jewish people of Middle East.

According to the Old Testament (Genesis 6-8th chapters) "the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence." God ordered Noah to build an ark. He brought a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh. It rained upon the earth for forty days and forty nights and all flesh died. Noah's family and some righteous men that were with him in the ark only remained alive.

Religious tradition believes that when Noah and other survivors reached the earth again, no food was enough to make a good meal. Noah gathered all dry beans, wheat and all of the remaining food together on the arc; and mixing them, prepared a delicious meal. Believers survived through famine. Today, we call the meal Noah's Pudding or Ashura.

Muslims cook Ashura in every year on the lunar month of Muharram (falls within February this year) in remembrance of what Noah and his people went through and share this day with friends and neighbors as a symbolic representation of the unity and essential relationship of humans to one another and their Creator. As Islamic tradition goes, neighbors are considered the residents of forty houses to your East, West, North and South.

Ingredients: (some wealthy people try to reach 40 kinds) Broad-bean: Dry horse bean, blackeye, chickbean, whitebean, rice, wheat, sesame seeds. Nuts: peanut, walnut, almond, clove. Dried fruits: orange peel, raisin, apricot, apple, currant, fig, pomegranate, cinnamon. Others: water, salt, milk, sugar, rose water.

How interesting! Neither of us had heard of this custom before, but we think it is a wonderful way to share with your neighbors. The ashura was sweet and tasty (an excellent light dessert). We are proud to live in a country where people of all faith practices are free to practice their religion and share it generously with others.

Thanks for including us as your neighbors.