Iyi Bayramlar!

Just when students started coming to class consistently, Bayram occurred. Kurban Bayramı or the Feast of Sacrifice is the second largest on the Muslim calendar religious celebrations. It is called Eid al-Adha in Arabic-speaking countries and commemorates the almost-sacrifice of Isaac by his father, Abraham. It always begins on the tenth day of the last month of the lunar-based Muslim calendar. This year, it began on October 25th and since the celebration lasts four days, it butted up to Cumhuriyet Bayramı or Republican Day, the anniversary of Atatürk’s declaration of Turkey’s Republic-hood. So Turks this year enjoyed 5 days off work instead of the regular 4 or as the message next to the smiling face of Prime Minister Erdoğan read on posters around the city center, a Çifte Bayramlar or Twin Celebration. 

During my classes leading up to Bayram, I asked my students to tell me how their families celebrated. In Turkey, Bayram is celebrated with an actual sacrifice--usually a sheep but sometimes a cow or a goat that is traditionally killed by the oldest member of the family and then enjoyed during the four day feast. If a family cannot afford an animal, the richer members of the village share. My students learned the words “cut” and “neck” and “butcher” to describe this process to me--sometimes by using a disturbing series of hand-gestures; one student grabbed his classmate’s head, twisted it to the left and made a sawing motion with his hand. Some explained that their father or grandfather did the butchering in their gardens while others (the city dwellers) told me their father just goes to the butcher shop and buys a dead one. Walking around Erzurum a few days before Bayram began, I definitely noticed an increased sheep population. Either packed onto trucks screeching down the street or being pulled down the street by ropes tied around their neck, they all had fearful eyes. Or maybe that is just me creating drama since I knew their fate. 

Although the Sacrifice is the traditional centerpiece of Bayram, today the focal point is travel. Everyone goes home for Bayram. And not just to one’s hometown but usually to the village of one’s parents. As I learned over and over when talking to my students and co -workers, asking where they were going for Bayram if I already knew where they were from was a null question. Some of my students bused 20+ hours to Istanbul and cities on the west coast to be with their families. Only two of my co-workers who have families on the other side of the country chose to stay in Erzurum for the first time to avoid those buses and pre-Thanksgiving price levels plane tickets.

According to my students, after the journey home, the visiting begins. The younger members of the family visit the older and stay for a certain amount of time before visiting the next oldest family members. The younger family members kiss the older ones’ hands and receive candy in return. I did not get to witness these gatherings myself but I imagine there is a lot of sitting and talking. The verb “to sit” is also used to mean spending time with people and every Turkish living room I’ve entered has couches lining almost every wall. 

My Bayram was full of travel (I experienced the Bayram bus station crowds) but not too much sitting (except for on those buses). With six days off work, the Erzurum crew retreated to Georgia, our close but extremely different neighbor. I had a wonderful few days of lively, endless Georgian toasts, a crash course in Orthodox Christianity and Soviet occupation and beautiful views of fall colors in the mountains. I tumbled back over the border feeling like I knew a lot less about that part of the world than I thought I did just in time for the Cumhuriyet parade to begin. Soldiers and school children sang the national anthem under a gigantic poster of Atatürk’s face as we sat down in a tea house to have some much needed çay. In typical small town Turkish fashion, the owner refused to charge visitors who came into his teahouse on Republic Day. Ah, it felt good to be back in Turkey. More details about my venture into the best city in Europe (according to my boss, followed by Amsterdam and Brussels) to follow. For now, I’m off to class and to plan a Halloween Party for the American Corner tomorrow night. Luckily, all the Bayram candy is on clearance.