Bayram Festival This Week

This week sees Bayram in Turkey. Otherwise known as Seker Bayram, or the Sugar Festival, Bayram is a three-day holiday where sweets are eaten to celebrate the end of Ramadan, the fasting month for Muslims.

Many have been fasting for the last month leading up to the celebrations only eating and drinking before the morning call and after sunset. Over the next few days’ new outfits will be worn and traditionally younger family members will visit their elders bringing deserts, chocolates and candles. Copious amounts of food will be devoured after the previous controlled fasts and similar to Halloween in the UK; Turkish children will knock at other houses to receive sweets and gifts.

The festival is a favorite with children and when you visit Turkish friends or encounter children during Seker Bayram, you’ll often see them kiss your hand and place it on their forehead as they bow to you. It’s a Turkish tradition for children to show respect for elders in that way. They put the back of your hand against their forehead to show you that you have a position “at the top of their head.” The correct response is to kiss the child on both cheeks as a sign of love and sympathy for them. You’ll then often see the children put out their hands afterward, expecting a bit of pocket change! It’s traditional to give the child a coin or some coins when they do that.

As Bayram is a national religious holiday, banks, schools etc will be closed and building work will stop during this time. Due to the family visits, traffic will also be busy during the first day and typically shops are also closed on the first day of the festival,but they open up again on the second day. The festival will last until the 24th September when business will return to normal.

If you are planning a visit to Turkey during this time the phrase for wishing a happy holiday is Iyi Bayramlar, which literally means “good festivals”, or "I wish you a happy festival".