The Kyrgyzstan Experience: Fatiha

We were invited to a Fatiha, a Muslim tradition observed in Kyrgyzstan to honor and remember the departed. Two of our colleagues had lost their mothers just a day apart, and both families held the Fatiha on the same day. We attended both.

It was my first time experiencing this custom/ritual, and I didn’t really know what to expect. We were ushered into a function hall and seated at a table full of food. After a short prayer led by the family, we began eating, thinking that what was served was the main meal. Only later did we realize that those were just the appetizers. Soon, large chunks of meat were brought in and placed at each table. Our colleagues started distributing generous portions to each of us. But by that time, we were already full after filling up on bread and other starters.

A fun discovery: in Kyrgyzstan, it’s completely normal (and even encouraged) for guests to take leftover food home. Plastic bags are already provided for each person, and at the end of the meal, everyone packs up what’s left to share with family, or simply to avoid food waste. In Filipino culture, we call that legal na pag-sha-sharon.