sacrifice day.. last day of the year..

the sheep at the desk..
'' we don't want to be remembered just for one day..
we want all days to be.. sacrifice day..''

this is an awkward day..
the last day of the year.. new year's eve..
and the first day of the bayram..
the second important religious feast of the islamic world..

if we rely upon history of religion..
St Abraham could not have a child.. a son..
so he prayed God for a son..
and he was rewarded..
and this was a great boy.. happy.. healthy and intelligent..
when the child was 9 years old..
God asked him to sacrifice his son.. to prove his belief.. and obedience towards God..
and he obeyed.. even though it was very hard to..
he took his son at the top of the mountain of Mina and was just going to sacrifice his son..that a ram appeared.. and talked to him..
saying that God is very satisfied about him.. and that he has to sacrifice him.. instead of his son..

and therefore this is the day of sacrificing a ram.. a sheep in the name of God..

kurban.. is the word in turkish.. and means.. getting closer.. it is a need.. of getting closer to God..!!..

at least this is the history I know..

and there are rules about.. about the animal's not suffering.. about the animal's age..
and nature.. and about the consumption..
you don't eat this sacrifice yourself..
you have to give 1/7 to your family.. relations..
and the rest for the poor families.. for charity..
well I can question the application for today..not the history..and nowadays.. in Turkey..
more and more people are trying .. not to kill an animal.. even in the name of God..
thay say..if we have to help.. let us help in a different way..
a ram's cost is known..
so they give the money to charity houses.. or to people in need..
but of course this depends on the education.. of the intellectual level..

some still prefer to sacrifice..
I don't.. we don't..
there willstill be many discussions between animal rights defenders.. and ' traditionals'..
much explanations by state responsibles.. and protests by common people..
discussions are good.. they come in the end to better solutions..

so..
this year.. people in Turkey will first celebrate the bayram..
of helping.. and thanking God.. everyone in his own way..
and then will step in a new year..
which is not the new year for islamic calendar.. because as you may know or not..
the islamic calendar depends on the lunar systheme.. therefore the months are 28 days long and the new year day is not the same..
but as we use the international calendar.. I don't know when the islamic new year begins..
all I know is this..
as the bayrams have always changing dates.. coming approximately 10 days earlier each year.. for me the first thing to look on the new calendar is the date of bayrams.. national and religious.... because I want to know when I don't go to work.. =))
Yesss..
this is holidays for me..
until.. thursday..
we are on holiday.. =D.. isn't it great a new year starting with a holiday..
I wish you all the best new year's day...