The ram is an important symbol for the Sacrifice Feast in Turkey.
What Do People Do?

The Sacrifice Feast is one of the oldest Islamic holidays in Turkey. It commemorates the story about Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) who showed obedience to God by agreeing to sacrifice his son. God then sent him a ram to be sacrificed instead. The Sacrifice Feast comes about 70 days after the Ramadan Feast.

Traditionally, on the first day of the Sacrifice Feast in Turkey, men of each family go to a mosque for a special morning prayer. Then the sacrifice ritual begins. In some regions in Turkey, people paint the sacrificial animal with henna and adorn it with ribbons. . Families share about two-thirds of the animal’s meat with relatives and neighbors, and they traditionally give about one-third to the poor.

In recent years, some Turkish people started making donations to charity organizations instead of sacrificing animals. Many people in Turkey take special care to help the poor during the Sacrifice Feast.

People usually wear their best clothes during the Sacrifice Feast. They welcome guests to their homes or visit relatives or friends during the holiday. Many people in Turkey reserve the first day of the feast for visiting their closest relatives. Young people greet their older relatives and neighbors by kissing their hand as a sign of respect. Some people in Turkey may use the four-day holiday to go on a vacation.

What Do People Do?

Many people buy new clothes and prepare some meals during the Sacrifice Feast Eve in Turkey. Many people also tidy their houses and make preparations for guests who may wish to stay overnight during the four-day Sacrifice Feast that follows the Sacrifice Feast Eve.  People who wish to visit relatives in other cities may travel on this day.