In Turkish-speaking countries, what is Eid al-Adha called?

In Turkish-speaking countries, Eid al-Adha is called Kurban Bayramı. The Turkish name combines bayram, meaning a festival or holiday, with kurban, referring to sacrifice or offering.

Kurban Bayramı is one of Turkey’s two major Islamic holidays, alongside Ramazan Bayramı, the Turkish name for Eid al-Fitr. The festival begins on 10 Dhu al-Hijjah, the final month of the Islamic lunar calendar, and is associated with Eid prayer, animal sacrifice, family visits, charitable sharing, and festive meals.

The holiday’s sacrificial theme recalls the Islamic account of Abraham’s willingness to obey God by sacrificing his son, before God provided a substitute. In Turkey and other Turkic communities, the sacrifice is commonly called kurban. Meat is traditionally shared with relatives, neighbours, and people in need, although practices vary by household and locality.

A common mix-up is Şeker Bayramı, literally “Sugar Festival,” another Turkish name for Eid al-Fitr, which follows Ramadan. Nevruz Bayramı refers to Nowruz celebrations, not either of the two main Islamic eids. The spelling may appear without Turkish diacritics as Kurban Bayrami in English-language writing.