Kurban Bayrami Links & Websites
Kurban Bayrami is a 4-day festival when sacrificial sheep are slaughtered and their meat distributed to the poor. The dates of these religious festivals change according to the Muslim lunar calendar an thus occur 12 days earlier each year. As the story goes, a very very long time ago after the passing of Christ, a group of Muslims decided to prove their belief in God. So one decided to sacrifice his son to show how strong their belief was. He called all the people from town and laid his son on a table in the middle of the street and ordered to have his throat cut. When they pulled the knife to cut his throat it turned backwards to the side that doesn't cut he tried himself again but once again the knife switched sides. He was amazed at what was going on so he was just about to try again when a goat dropped out of the sky and said "Don't sacrifice your own son your flesh and blood for me... cut this goat, put it's blood on your forehead then give out the meat to the poor and the ones in need... this is s a bigger belief and sacrifice."
From that day on for all these centuries at a certain time of the year everyone sacrifices edible animals (goat, sheep, cow, rooster, chicken, etc) and take a small piece to eat with their family as good luck and belief and donates the rest to poor people or orphans or places like the Salvation Army, etc. This holiday is 4 days long and everyone is off from work. They celebrate, drink visit their elders show respect and get into the value of family. Every family should have an animal cut mostly the father of the house does it or he buys it and hires a butcher to cut it and then has donated. The only people that can't do it is people who have debt. For example if they owe anyone money or something similar. You have to be well off to do it. In the United States most cannot cut any animals so they donate money instead. Back in turkey, the father of the household cuts it for the whole family. Today in the US the Turkish drink, socialize and get together with the family and pay respects to their elders.
Other Information on Turkey & Turkish Holiday Sites
Turkish Newspapers & Travel Links www.tigerx.com/places/turkey.htm
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