Description of Challenge
Showing religious gratitude, building community and creating economic liveliness in the local economy
Solution
Village charities (köy hayırları) are traditional spreads organized in spring time where rural people come together, eat together and pray together to express their sense of gratitude, as well as creating a social space.
Organized consecutively by the surrounding villages of towns (mainly Canakkale and Balikesir in the Aegean region), according to a certain calendar, village charities are an example of social and economic solidarity in addition to its religious aspect.
Each year in March, members of neighbouring or close villages come together to determine the exact dates of the charity event, the content and amount of the catering, and the responsible organizers. After the date is determined, it is announced to the public by the municipalities and the mosques. Necessary goods (wheat, meat, oil, salt etc) for the charity are specified and supplied by the villagers and surrounding craftsmen, with the money being collected from each villager. There is no obligatory amount to be paid as each villager contributes within the bounds of their capabilities (sometimes in the form of service or an animal).
The food, the place and the program are prepared collectively by the contributing members. Before and after the meal is served, religious men share prayers and passages from The Qur-an sharing the community’s gratitude for abundance, welfare and the well-being of the community.
In addition to the religious aspect of the event, village charity also creates a social and economic space for the local community. People from neighbouring villages come together to meet new people, share the news, and young people find a chance to choose their future partners. Those who have poor living conditions share a rich meal with their children and relatives. Through the supply of ingredients and services for the spread from local people, an economic vitality is also created.
Village charity is a very old tradition having its roots in the ancient culture of sharing, solidarity and gratitude in Anatolian civilization.
