Festival Grounds

Bayram yeri is a traditional space in many regions of Türkiye, particularly during Ramadan and Kurban Bayram, that fulfills social, cultural, and ritualistic functions. These areas serve as communal gathering points where collective celebrations take place, games are played, meals are shared, visits are exchanged, and intergenerational cultural transmission occurs.

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Cultural Function and Structure

As a cultural space, the bayram yeri fosters interpersonal interaction and socialization. Typically, village squares, mosque courtyards, or other suitably spacious areas fulfill this role. Preparations begin several days before the holiday: homes are cleaned, traditional dishes such as stuffed grape leaves, baklava, and kavurma are prepared, and special bayram clothing is readied. On the day of the holiday, after the bayram prayer, people gather collectively at the bayram yeri to exchange greetings. Afterwards, guests are offered refreshments, games are played, and conversations take place. The bayram yeri can also function as a social setting where potential marriage partners are introduced to one another.

The bayram yeri tradition varies from region to region. In the Kandıra district of Kocaeli, for example, according to local custom, residents visit a designated neighboring neighborhood on a specific day. Each holiday, the inhabitants of a pre-determined neighborhood host visitors from surrounding neighborhoods, offering them the warmest possible welcome.

Bayram Celebration in Kocaeli Kanrıra (AA)

Games Played at the Bayram Yeri

In villages where the bayram yeri tradition is practiced, games such as rabbit chase and dog hunt, swinging on swings, şık şık, and çarçap are played. Among these, çarçap is the most common game played by young people in the village squares where the bayram yeri tradition is observed.

Çarçap is played by four people divided into two pairs. (F: 6) Each player hides their hand behind their back and simultaneously shows one of the numbers one, three, or five using their fingers. One beats five, five beats three, and three beats one. The winner strikes the loser’s hand. Through these games, young men and women become acquainted, socialize, make decisions about their future, and choose partners with whom they will build their lives.^【2】 

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Why the Bayram Yeri Cannot Be Transferred to Urban Areas

The inability to transfer the bayram yeri tradition to urban areas reflects broader challenges and transformations in the cultural transmission of holiday customs. Bayram is not merely a means of establishing personal bonds through social celebration; it is also a process through which the values passed down from past generations are kept alive. Although this tradition historically migrated from villages to towns and from towns to cities, the pressures of urbanization and social change have increasingly made it difficult to sustain these rituals.

While the presence of a bayram yeri in cities could create an important cultural space for people to gather, enjoy themselves, socialize, and visit one another during the holidays, the organization of such collective events today remains severely limited.

In contemporary urban settings, the way individuals participate in traditional bayram celebrations has been shaped largely by security concerns and the growing protection of private spaces. People now confine their holiday greetings to the safety of their own apartment buildings or familiar social circles. This shift has led to the loss of certain original social functions of bayram and has confined celebrations to narrower, more private circles. This development is one of the most tangible indicators of why the bayram yeri cannot be transferred to urban areas; instead of being a communal celebration, bayram has increasingly become a personal and family-centered activity.

The social interaction provided by traditional bayram celebrations has gradually disappeared due to the lack of support from local authorities through cultural policies, replaced by more isolated forms of observance. Urban security concerns have reduced the time people spend in public streets and have caused traditional activities like bayramlaşma to lose their former meaning in the public eye. The absence of bayram yerleri as part of the urban social fabric makes it increasingly difficult for both individuals and collective memory to come together to celebrate these cultural practices.

Documentary on Entertainment Activities During Holidays (TRT Archive)