Carpetblogger

Great Bayrams of History

It's a bad week to be a sheep, goat or cow in Muslim countries. Friday is Kurban Bayram (Eid Al Adha in Arabic), or the Feast of the Sacrifice. It's a time for charity and paranoia, reflection on topics such as "Is it better to be the first sheep or the last sheep?" and annual visits to Cowshwitz.

After last year's experience, we're abstaining from Bayram this year, although the giant, muddy fair-ground sized Kesim Yeri (butchery place) we saw on multiple trips to the airport today was mighty tempting. We prefer our bayrams less industrialized, anyway (Our first bayram, in Baku 2005 here and here.)

Iyi Bayramlar!

Carpetblog Reruns: Thanksgivings in Crapistan

Because we post once a month on this blog whether we have something to say or not and because it's Thanksgiving and because we like to remember better days, here are some of our favorite Thanksgiving posts from years past. You may have heard some of these stories once or twice but perhaps you don't already know:

Why We Hate Bulgaria (2007)

How to prepare Istanbul Thanksgiving dinner for 35 people arriving from four continents, including members of Baghdad's only heavy metal band (2007)

Where to get cow heads and booze at the Teze Bazaar in Baku (2006)

 How to buy a Turkey in Baku (2005)

Days are dark here at Carpetblog World Headquarters but, as we re-read these posts, we are struck by how many of the key characters in them are still intimately involved in our life. For this, we are thankful.

Thanksgiving and Bayram coincide this year, so, in violation of our new posting policy, tomorrow we'll post re-runs of our favorite Butchery Day posts. This year, we decline to participate in the bloodshed however.