Thursday, January 31, 2008

THE STORY OF NOAH`S PUDDING

Yesterday, I visited one of my friends, who served Noah`s pudding which is also known as ashura for her guests. Tasting the delicious ashura reminded me of the special story about Noah’s ark that I heard from my mother first time when I was a child. Thousands of years ago, The Great Creator sent the Prophet Noah to all humanity in order to call people to believe in one God. Noah called the people who had no religious faith to one God and the truth. However, most people, even his wife, didn`t believe him and called him crazy. Noah suffered with his people who believed him for eight-hundred years. One day God sent the Angel Gabriel to order Noah to build an ark. He started to build a ship with his believers according to the order of God.He also warned the others that a big flood was coming but nothing changed because they didn`t believe him. Several years later, he finished building the ship. After that ,God ordered him to take one male and one female of every kind of creature, the believers, and his family,except his wife, on the ship. For the last time, Noah warned the non-believers about the big flood again and gave them a chance to get onto the ship;however,they still did not believe him. Finally,it started to rain until everywhere was covered with water. All non-believers died in the flood,but Noah`s people survived because of the ship. For this reason, days passed on the ark; the food was almost finished. Therefore, Noah gathered all the foods together and mixed them for making a good meal on the tenth day of the first month of the year. On the next day the flood water drained out. Everybody on the ship began a new life after that day. Today, we call the meal ashura which means the tenth day of the month”, and we prepare it once every year to remember that special day in Turkey. Furthermore, we give a bowl of ashura to our neighbors and friends.If you know any person from Turkey, don`t forget to ask about ashura.