Muslims celebrate Ramadan Bayram, the festival at the end of the holy month of Ramadan, also known as Eid al-Fitr. Bayrams are some of the most special days when traditions come alive in Turkey.
Many still follow these traditions, but some traditions have surely started to fade into oblivion. This is why everyone, especially elders, long for the "good old days" by saying, “Where are those old bayrams?”
In the past, the arrival of the bayram would cause a sweet rush for everyone. Days before, the houses were cleaned and people went shopping to buy treats. People of all ages would greet each other on bayram by wearing new clothes. Kids couldn't wait to wear their bayram garments.
On the morning of the special day, all families used to get up early, exchange Eid greetings and have breakfast together. Children then took this opportunity to knock on the doors of their neighbors, who will then offer them candy or chocolates.
Recently, the bayram period is used as a holiday opportunity, especially due to their busy work life. During the old Eids, people used to celebrate the bayrams with their families. On the first day, the oldest people in the family, such as grandfather and grandmother, were visited. The younger ones kissed the elder’s hand, and the elders gave the children pocket money to celebrate the special occasion.
People would not forget to visit their elders who left this world, either. For this reason, one of the most crowded places during Ramadan Bayram would be cemeteries. People used to visit the graves of their late loved ones.
Many would also pay a visit to their neighbors and friends to offer bayram greetings. During these visits, Turkish coffee and desserts like baklava were served to guests.
Bayrams were also considered an occasion for resentful people to reconcile. For this reason, the bitterness among relatives would dissolve and people came together on Eid days so they could make peace.
With legendary films, Yeşilçam, eponymous with classical Turkish cinema, also commemorated old bayram days many times. Old holiday traditions were told in many unforgettable stories of Yeşilçam films. Let’s take a look at some of the cult Yeşilçam movies that brought the joy and meaning of bayram to the big screen.
One of the unforgettable bayram scenes in Yeşilçam movies was in “Kapıcılar Kralı” (“King of the Doormen”). Directed by Zeki Ökten, the 1976 Turkish comedy film stars legendary actors Kemal Sunar, Sevil Üstekin, Sevda Ferdağ, Bilge Zobu and Şevket Altuğ. The movie tells the story of a naive-looking but cunning doorman and his relationship with the residents of the apartment building.
The doorman Seyit cannot get on well with the new apartment manager. However, he manages to turn what is happening in the apartment in his favor. He even twists the residents around his little finger in time. Utilizing every job he gets, Seyit soon buys 51% of the building.
In a scene from the movie, Sunal in the role of Seyit and Üstekin in the role of Seyit’s wife Hacer revive the bayram greeting tradition. The family of Seyit get up early on the bayram morning. Their children kiss the hands of their parents, and Seyit gives pocket money to all members of the family. He also informs his children about with whom they will exchange bayram greetings.
Another movie featuring a bayram scene is “Bizim Aile (“We Are Family”), starring master actors Adile Naşit and Münir Özkul. Yaşar Usta, played by Özkul, is a widower with three children. After the death of his wife, he does not remarry and becomes both mother and father for his children. Melek Hanım (Naşit), who lives in the same neighborhood, is also widowed with three children and endured all the hardships of raising her children. The neighbors think that Melek and Yaşar Usta are just right for each other and encourage the two lonely people to marry. But the six siblings, who have to live with each other, don't adapt very quickly.
In the movie, a bayram scene is shot, and the family members exchange holiday greetings with each other. Then, Şener, the fiance of one of the children named Feride, comes to visit the family with some gifts, including a leg of lamb. Then, the whole family gathers around a table to have a bayram dinner together.
Another Turkish movie that features themes of bayrams is Yılmaz Güney’s “Yol” (“Road”). In the drama, prisoners in Imralı Prison are granted a bayram holiday and go to their hometowns. A short scene showing the joy of the children on the bayram is reflected in the film. Among the convicts, Seyit Ali goes to his hometown and learns that his wife has dishonored their family through prostitution. His wife's family waits for Seyit Ali to kill his wife. Though apparently determined at first, Seyit Ali changes his mind when his wife starts to freeze while traveling in the snow. The movie won numerous honors, including the Palme d'Or at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival.
