Kurban Bayram (Eid al-Adha) Description
The Festival of Sacrifice, Islam's most significant holiday, commemorating Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son. In Turkey, the four-day bayram begins with morning prayers at mosques. The central ritual is the kurban — the sacrifice of sheep, goats, or cattle. Animals are ritually slaughtered (increasingly at municipal-designated sacrifice areas rather than in backyards), and the meat is divided into three portions: one for the family, one for relatives and neighbors, and one for the poor — a deeply embedded tradition of Islamic charity. The hide and skins are donated to charitable organizations like the Turkish Air Force Association and Kizilay (Red Crescent). Government offices, banks, and most businesses close for all four days. As with Ramadan Bayram, millions embark on the bayram trafigi (festival traffic) to visit family. Traditional greetings of 'Bayraminiz kutlu olsun' and the hand-kissing custom continue. Cemeteries fill with visitors, and in rural areas, the sacrifice is often a communal, village-wide event bonding communities through shared ritual and feast.
