17th International Calf Feast, Izmir, Turkey

Afro-Turks are celebrating the 17th International Calf Feast, a cultural festival dedicated to honoring and preserving the heritage of African descendants in Turkey. The event is featuring a vibrant parade with traditional music, rhythmic drumming, and lively dances, led by the community's Godyas. Historically, donations collected from households were used to buy a bull, which was decorated and sacrificed in a public ceremony before being cooked and shared with the people. Today, Calf Feast is continuing each September as a two-day festival, symbolizing unity and cultural resilience, though the animal sacrifice is no longer practiced.