NATIVE CUSTOMS 53 



rejoicing — is first blessed by the Imam (priest), and then 

 distributed amongst those present, the blessing of the food 

 being an essential and a religious function. The food that is 

 blessed is, however, not all consumed at the feast, for por- 

 tions of it are sent to all the friends and relations who Avere 

 unable to be present at the rejoicings, in order that they may 

 share in the blessings and goodwill to be derived from these 

 occasions. The blessed food is called Irekat, and custom 

 dictates that the utensils in which the hrel-ai was distri- 

 buted shall be returned unwashed to the givers of the feast. 

 The sending of hrckat is an important piece of etiquette, 

 and an extremely pretty custom, and it would seem likely 

 that our wedding cake, although unblessed, is in reality a 

 descendant of the hrekat. 



The other occasions of feastinsf, in addition to the rites 

 of circumcision and of marriage, are the S'kada humi, the 

 Banchahan, and the Slamatan. 



S'kada humi is almost an equivalent for the harvest thanks- 

 giving, and though the Cocos Islander has but little in the 

 way of crops to be thankful for, he still maintains his S'kada 

 humi with much enthusiasm. The Avhole island joins in this 

 festivity, for it is one of the greatest events of the Cocos 

 Islanders' year, and elaborate preparations are made for it. 

 When the feast of the S'kada humi is over, the food that has 

 been blessed is not all sent out as hrekat to the living, but 

 some is kept reserved for spirits. Little wicker baskets are 

 prepared, and hung up in the branches of the trees, that the 

 spirits may come and take the food that has been blessed, and 

 so be partakers in the feast. The custom is evidently a very 

 ancient one designed to make offerings to the spirits of the 

 various crops and of the elements, and the human feasting, 

 though at the present time the dominant feature of the 

 ceremony, is probably a secondary thing. 



The Slamatan is a feast given as a thanksgiving in honour of 

 an individual, a prayer for his safe-keeping, or a thanksgiving 

 for his safe return ; the trips made by the Governor to England 

 are the greatest of the occasions for the Slamatan to-day. 



