Peaceful Eid Ul Adha held in rural Siberia

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Beshbarmak is the main dish at the holiday. Meat and thin slices of dough are cooked in pots the whole day through in Karasart. Women help one another and cook festive dinner at one house after another

02/23

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Sacrifices are made for the sake of the living people. The sacrifice serves as a confirmation of person’s need to live in harmony and concord with other people. It also ensures gaining enough strength to overcome the possible misfortunes in future

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Women help one another and cook festive dinner at one house after another.

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The Qurban Ayt sacrifice should be subdivided into three main parts: one part is used for festive food for the family, another part goes to the poor neighbors and relatives, and one part is distributed as charity among those who begs for it

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The Eid al-Adha sacrifice should be subdivided into three main parts: one part is used for festive food for the family, another part goes to the poor neighbors and relatives, and one part is distributed as charity among those who beg for it.

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Both a respectable old man aksakal and a degraded person can come to dastarkhan in Karasart during the Qurban Ayt. All the guests of the house and the world are equal in front of life and death during the Qurban Ayt

08/23

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People eat beshbarmak with broth. Tea is served at the end of the meal.

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People eat beshbarmak with broth. Tea is served at the end of the meal.

10/23

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During the Eid al-Adha (Qurban Ayt), a person has to visit at least seven families. He has to kneel at table in every house, wish good luck for the family, have his portion of festive meal and take sarkyt (special gift for the visitor’s relatives)

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Women table.

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People are eager to know how the holiday is celebrated in other cities.

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Prayers consecrate everything that is said, eaten and happened at Qurban Ayt table in Karasart. Prayers are the integral parts of the sacrifice in the form of the festive meal securing people’s wellbeing

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One more hostess dressed in a blue dress with an orange vest, and red head scarf..

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At the holiday table

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The participants of this ritual repast have to follow certain rules. It is prohibited to neglect festive food, to leave a slice of bread, at which at least one nibble was taken and to blow over the hot broth or tea

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There is a Karasart story about a stray cat, which dozed off on Prophet’s robe. People wanted to push the cat away, but Prophet cut off the flap of his robe. He did not want to disturb the blessed animal

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Sacrifice.

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The longer is the death agony of the ram and the longer it breezes, the more deserving is the person who performed the ritual. The death of one creature means salvation for many people

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The 1st day is dedicated to the dead. Families, where some relative has passed away during the year, make the festive table. During the following 3 days, citizens of one street receive guests in turn with the residents of the two other ones

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Eid Ul Adha, a Muslim holiday traditionally featuring the live sacrifice of an animal, is celebrated as a day of peace, eternity, unity, and friendship in a community in the small Kazakh enclave in Siberia. Karasart aul, Russia. 16th November 2010

Karasart aul is a small Kazakh enclave situating at the border of Novosibirsk Region. It consists of three streets, few dozens of houses, slightly more than 60 families. The feast of sacrifice Qurban ayt is the common festival for all the citizens of the village. In the morning, men of the village go to the first house at the end of the street in order to express respect to the masters of the house and wish prosperity in the forthcoming year. Having tried the festive food in this house, the guests move to the next house in the neighborhood. The street has to be gone through by the end of the day. Every house needs to get good wishes and a bit of good fortune. Good fortune for everyone is gained through common efforts of all the citizens. People gather together at table to wish good luck and oppose to death once a year on the holiday of Qurban Ayt.

The text and captions by Irina Oktyabrskaya