bairam

Bairam, also transliterated bayram, is a term used across Turkic languages to denote a festival or holiday. It is most often associated with major religious holidays in Muslim communities, but it can also refer to local or seasonal celebrations depending on the region.

In Turkey and Azerbaijan, the equivalent term is bayram and it designates Eid al-Fitr (Ramazan Bayramı) and Eid al-Adha (Kurban Bayramı). Among Central Asian peoples such as Tatars, Bashkirs, Kazakhs, Uzbeks, and Turkmen, the forms bairam or bayram are used for the same festivals and for other public holidays. The spelling and pronunciation vary by language, but the concept remains broadly similar across the Turkic-speaking world.

Celebrations typically involve family gatherings, festive meals, visiting relatives, exchanging sweets or gifts for children, acts of charity, and communal prayers in mosques or at home. The holidays are commonly observed as public occasions, sometimes with days off from work or school and various local customs appended to the core religious observances.

Origin and usage of the word are linked to the broader Turkic-Persian linguistic region. The Turkish form bayram is standard in modern Turkish, while bairam remains common in many Central Asian languages and in older transliterations. In contemporary usage, bayram/bairam generally refers to Eid-related holidays within Muslim communities, though the term can also be applied more broadly to festive occasions in some contexts.