Ramazan Bayramı is the three-day religious holiday that follows the end of the holy month of Ramazan, the holy month of fasting. The three-day holiday this year begins this afternoon and extends through Wednesday.
In Turkey, Ramazan Bayramı is a time for observant Muslims to send greeting cards to friends and loved ones, pay visits, and enjoy a lot of sweets. It is also a time of celebration, and after sunset the feasting begins with a ceremonial "break-fast" light meal called Iftar. For my secular friends, Ramazan Bayramı is mostly a time to avoid the freeways in the evening since they become crowded with people heading to Iftar events. I was also told that people who are fasting can be more irritable.
The most evident sign of Ramazan is the abundant availability of freshly-baked flat pide bread.
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| My friend Müge discussing which bread to choose at the bakery. I wish I could post the smell of this bakery as I could a sound or a video. Luscious. |
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| A Pide seller, going door to door with fresh Pide. Many of the workers and Pide sellers are fasting for Ramazan, but continue to work and sell food to other non-observant residents and tourists. It is commonly understood that people fasting may be irritable or short-tempered. |
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| Kınalıada is the most populated of the Prince's islands. |
I returned to Burgaz Island from Beylarbayı on the last eve of Ramazan, and found the ferry boat loaded with tourists (Arabs mostly it seemed) heading to the Prince's Islands. As we passed, I observed that every inch of the shores of Kınalı Island were covered with beach chairs and umbrellas, and children swam in the deep shore waters of the Marmara as the massive ferry boat floated by.
Burgaz Island's shores, on the contrary, were serene and calm. Nükte has said that this was the primary reason she chose Burgaz over the other islands.
Climbing the hill in the heat, with my large overnight bag, was difficult, but how wonderful to return to my friends' lovely flat, with its sea breezes drifting in through the french doors! I immediately put on my swim suit and went to soak in the neighbor's swimming pool and made one final errand to buy the last Pide of Ramazan at the bakery.
Here's is a quick view of my walk. Do you hear the seagulls?
Here's is a quick view of my walk. Do you hear the seagulls?
I encountered this scene on my way back.
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| Wild cats and dogs are a common site in Turkey. These ones were hoping to pick up some scraps from the fellow's barbecue. |
1 comment:
For many turkish children Ramazan bayramı is the feast for sugar. Şeker (Cheker bayramı) Bayramı is the second name for Ramadan here in Turkey. Because when I was a child, for every Ramadan bayramı we were offered lots of chocolate and sugar at each visit as well as bozuk para (coins of course). It was fun. It is still called Şeker Bayramı. Baklavas are prepared at homes to offer the guests accompanied with delightful liqueurs in tiny little glasses. That is what I remember most among my childhood memories of Şeker Bayrams.
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