For some silly reason, I thought that Şeker Bayramı, the three-day holiday at the end of Ramazan, was the time when children get all hyped up on sugar. Based on my wanderings today through Fener, Fatih, and Aksaray, some of the more conservative--and hence, one would think, observant of religious traditions--neighborhoods in Istanbul, it's actually the time when little boys run wild in the streets, shooting off cap guns at each other and at random passers-by. Of course, there might be a connection between that and the candy.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
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My Saudi relatives (husband's side), just celebrated "Eid al-Fitr", three day holiday marking the end of "Ramadan". There didn't appear to be any emphasis on sugary sweets. Interesting difference between Muslim celebrations in different cultures.
Hi Glenyce, nice to hear from you! I forgot that your husband's relatives were Saudi... very interesting to get a different perspective. I would love to go sometime to a country where the prayer times/fasts/religious holidays/etc. are more strictly or universally observed. Many people are devout in Turkey, but, especially in Istanbul, many are not. I get the impression that Bayram here is like Christmas in the States--it has a religious meaning, of course, but many people celebrate it in a more secular way.
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