Ramadan Feast Eve in Turkey

Many people in Turkey renew their wardrobes and prepare traditional Ramadan desserts on the Ramadan Feast Eve. It is also an occasion to remember and honor the dead.

Coffee and treats are consumed during the Ramadan Feast Eve. ©iStockphoto.com/jackof

What do people do?

Many people spend the Ramadan Feast Eve preparing traditional desserts, such as baklava, to give to neighbors and friends during the Ramadan Feast. Some Turkish people shop for new clothes on this day, which they then wear during the holiday.

The Ramadan Feast Eve is also an occasion to honor the dead in many Turkish households. People may cook a special meal, pişi, which consists of large pieces of fried dough, and distribute it to neighbors and the poor in remembrance of their deceased relatives. It is also common to visit the cemetery on this day.

Public life

The Ramadan Feast Eve can be an official holiday in Turkey if it falls on Monday, Friday or Saturday. If it occurs in the middle of the week, many workers get half a day off. Administration buildings, schools and post offices may be closed for the entire day or in the afternoon on this day. There may be traffic congestion on highways, as many people travel to other cities to visit their relatives.

Background

The Ramadan Feast Eve is the last day of Ramadan, which is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Each month in the Islamic calendar begins with the first sighting of the new moon. The Ramadan Feast Eve and the Ramadan Feast usually occur 10 days earlier than in the previous year, according to the Gregorian calendar.

Caliph Umar (spelled as Ömer in Turkish) introduced the Islamic calendar around 640 CE. The calendar starts its count from 622 CE, the year in which Islamic prophet Muhammed (the Turkish spelling) moved from Mecca to Medina. The origins of observing the Ramadan Feat Eve go back to the Qur'an.

Symbols

The symbols of the Ramadan Feast Eve are the same as the symbols of the Ramadan Feast, also known in Turkey as Şeker Bayramı, the Sugar Feast. They include:

• A new moon.
• Traditional desserts or sweets.
• A cup of Turkish coffee.

These symbols can be seen on the Ramadan Feast Eve in Turkey.

Ramadan Feast Eve Observances

Related holiday

• Ramadan Feast ―Sunday, August 19, 2012

Other holidays in August 2012 in Turkey

• Ramadan Feast ―Sunday, August 19, 2012
• Ramadan Feast Day 2 ―Monday, August 20, 2012
• Ramadan Feast Day 3 ―Tuesday, August 21, 2012
• Victory Day ―Thursday, August 30, 2012