Kurban

“Kurban” (qurban, qurbani from Arabic) is a term for animal sacrifice in Judaism, Islam and the Balkans. It’s a very old, pagan ritual, which in Bulgaria has blended with the traditional Orthodox religion. Nowadays it mostly functions as a community gathering, with focus not so much on the sacrifice itself but more on preparing the lamb soup and consuming it together. Village members share the costs for the lamb and sometimes hire the best cook around, usually an elderly woman, to prepare the soup for everybody. They also gather together on the village square and in a way confirm they are a community, not just individuals, sharing a territory. This type of event is very significant for the village and almost everybody looks forward to it and participates. They do that once a year, on a certain date, which has some relation to the village and is often tied to a day dedicated to a saint. Kurbans are also offered by individuals, after an important life event, like successful surgery, survival or to thank the higher powers and the community for something significant. Kurbans are often combined with an Orthodox service with a priest, even if the ritual itself and the animal sacrifices in general have nothing to do with Christianity.

The project was shot in 2021, in a couple of Bulgarian villages, relatively small ones, looking like most of the villages in the country – almost abandoned, very poor and inhabited mostly with elderly people. The kurban took place in the Autumn and the plan was to be held on the village square like always, with tents and chairs for about 500 people incl. the 300 village members and their families from the nearby towns. Unfortunately there were Covid restrictions, the day was cold and rainy, so only around 100 people showed up and gathered around the small village church to witness the service. Then they chatted a bit, hidden below their umbrellas, everybody took a paper cup of soup and went home to taste it on their own.