Iyi Byramlar

Today is the festival of the sacrifice.

Today is Kurban Byram, the festival of the sacrifice. Many families and businesses all around Fethiye (and the Muslim world) will sacrifice sheep and goats. This morning Fethiye was busy with people preparing their gardens and balconies to butcher their animals which have been grazing on any land available in the past few days.

The actual sacrifice isn’t the stuff of horror movies but a fairly straightforward and humane process. The animal is given water, a prayer is said and the throat of the animal is cut leading to a quick death. In most cases the animal is calm and unaware of its fate. The carcass is then hung up and butchered. Children are always present at the butchering which helps them to understand the link between animals and meat – something many children in the UK may not have experienced.

{mosimage}Later that day some of the meat is cooked and eaten. No alcohol is allowed to be consumed with the meat. Having only just been butchered the meat is tough and difficult to chew but those eating it don’t worry about that. A portion of the butchered animal is given the poor and the hides are given to the Army.