Azerbaijani local governments and pro-government media have been encouraging people not to serve food at funerals, despite it being a common practice in Azerbaijani culture.
According to local media, several villages in Baku and Nakhchivan have called on their residents not to serve food at funerals, calling it ‘wasteful’.
The pro-government media outlet Okhu wrote on Thursday that the elders in the Shirvan district held a meeting on the matter, saying a ban on serving food at funerals would ‘prevent wastefulness, eliminate additional financial burdens on family, and preserve religious and spiritual values’.
Global Info, another pro-government media outlet, wrote that the ban on mourning ceremonies in the Samukh district and its villages had raised a number of questions.
‘Can similar steps be taken in the cities of Baku, Sumgayit, and Ganja? Why is serving food not banned in major cities during mourning?’, they asked MP Fazil Mustafa.
‘This is an issue directly aimed at combating wastefulness. In general, the cultural layer of society should pay attention to this. Since ancient times, people have evolved to make their lives easier. The only country where people do not strive to create comfort for themselves is Azerbaijan’, Mustafa answered.
He added that ‘giving gifts during mourning is forcibly accepted by society under the guise of religion and tradition. The fear of “falling behind the neighbours” and competition push people to give the most extravagant steps. If we ourselves create waste, then getting rid of it is only in our power’.
A Balakhani resident who wished to remain anonymous told OC Media that before 2010, most people treated funeral attendees to meals, as was culturally appropriate. However, as the economy worsened, elders and religious leaders started to view the feasts as wasteful.
‘[Now], the foods at funerals will be halva, tea with lemon, and that’s all’.
However, the Balakhani resident stressed that even when people served meals at funerals, ‘no one went overboard’.
‘Our dishes were pilaf with govurma [fried meat], and there were fruits and sweets on the table. However, if someone wants to treat others, they can do so’, the resident said.
OC Media
This article was translated into Armenian and republished by our partner CivilNet.
