We want to do more activities with our association. We discussed among ourselves if we could organize a circumcision feast. All families were organizing circumcision feast for their sons either they are poor or middle class. However circumcision feasts of rich families were more imposing. Circumcision feasts of poor families were modest. A collective circumcision feast would be more beautiful and hinder poor families to be jealous of middle class families. Yes, it could be possible; we could do it...
We visited to provincial health director. We said him that we planned to organize a circumcision feast for 30-40 children living in our neighbourhood. He told the good news that he would give us medical equipment and find a circumciser. He also emphasized that he was so happy with our project. We also offered children of middle class families to participate the activity. We wanted to solidify friendship among residents. Moreover some middle class families bought circumcision costumes for children of poor families.
Central street of the neighbourhood was prepared to be festival area. We made an agreement with a group of musician to play in the circumcision feast for a small fee. Musical equipments and musicians were well prepared. We also asked all of local musicians living in our neighbourhood to participate the festival. All of them accepted voluntarily. We decorated streets for the festival. We arranged in order beds for children to lie after circumcision. We glamorised beds with various ornaments. We placed one middle class and two poor children to each beds. Everything was ready for the festival.
36 children would be circumcised. 3 different group started to make music while we were still making preparations in the morning. Various songs... Music at full blast. All residents and people from the Shanty Town were there. Everybody had a relative among children who would be circumcised. Everybody was there in one's sunday best. Everybody was laughing, havin fun, dancing... There were 3 different dance band because there were too many people demanding to dance there. We wanted everybody to participate the festival.
Children went on circumcision excursion with bogies. There were also many cars in convoy. People emotionalised with Roma music and got out of cars. They started to dance in Çiftlik Street. Roma people were dancing with other people in the most crowded street of Samsun accompanied by Roma music. It was an excellent incident. Then police officers came to the street. They also participated our fun. When we returned to the neighbourhood, there was a huge crowd. All Roma was there. All of them embraced the festival and were sharing fun.
The provincial health director came to the neighbourhood with his team in the afternoon. He danced in the dance band. However he cut it short. It was the time. We were prepared an empty house for circumcision. The first children circumcised was Aliş, his kirve (somebody helping a boy being circumcised) was Koçali. Children were brought to their beds after circumcision and their families went to the dance band. The provincial health director left the festival early. But his team stayed more and we laid a table for them. Then we as administration of our association also entered the dance band. We danced with the honor of making a nice activity.The festival continued until midnight.
The next day, we watched ourselves on the TV. We got positive reaction. People called us from Germany to congratulate us. Next year we organized circumcision feast again. The mayor bought toys and watch for each child this time.
Municipalities started to organize circumcision feast since that year. Festivals being organized by municipalities away from the neighbourhood were not like the one we organized in the neighbourhood. Municipality festivals have never been enjoyed as the ones we organized even municipalities have spent much more money for their festivals.
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