Some of my old time readers may know that although I am not a very religious person, I actually fast during Ramazan. This is a ritual that is definitely not my favorite. It is particularly difficult not because of 16 hours of not drinking, eating (and no sex) (hours actually change, it is the moon calendar) but also because of its collective aspects. Nearly non of my close friends or colleagues do fast and fasting is more bearable if it is done collectively. Still, I do fast. It messes up my daily routine. The worst is not having caffeine during the day. Still, here another Ramazan ends. I am happy about that.
End of the Ramazan is celebrated with Bayram which is commonly known in English as Eid-al-Fitr. Well, people now mostly take that break an opportunity to leave Istanbul here. Some visit relatives. I stopped visiting my grandmother 3 years ago. Probably both my parents’ kin do not like much. I do not like them anyway.
In my unconscious Bayram is never an happy event. Because my mother begins to prepare for the Bayram a week before which means massive cleaning operation at home and cooking for desserts etc. This means we cannot continue our ordinary life. The home turns into a construction zone. Now I have been visiting my parentsa lot nowadays and the same routine continues…
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Ramadan as ‘National Event’
from Hurriyet Dailynews by HDN
Turkey becoming more conservative or ‘Islamic’ has been a major concern since the Justice and Development Party, or AKP came to power.
Ramadan in Turkey: the poor, the rich and the defiant
Southeast European Times
By Ozgur Ogret for Southeast European Times in Istanbul — 26/08/11 The iftar tent in the busy Eminonu district is an icon of the Ramadan celebration in Istanbul. Long lines form as the hour of breaking the fast approaches. For a brief period following
Long lines keep busy the Iftar tents in Istanbul. [Nihan Sevinc/SETimes]
Turkey: Ramadan Spurs Debate on Social Stratification
Gezi Park in downtown Istanbul has become the battleground in a struggle over the significance of Ramadan and a growing concern over the chasm that has opened between rich and poor in Turkish society.
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