With only a few days left until the Feast of Sacrifice, the answer to that question is being asked: Should children watch the sacrifice? Stating that the cut should not be shown to children up to the age of 7 who do not want it, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “Even if the child wants to watch it, the worship and spiritual aspects of the holiday must be explained.” is proposing.
Üsküdar University Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan made evaluations about how the approaching Eid al-Adha should be explained to children.
prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that the cut should not be shown to children up to the age of 7 who do not want it and said, “If everyone in the family leaves and wants a child, the child must be informed. The reasons for sacrificing should be explained to the child in a way that he or she can understand. Even if the child wants to watch it, the worship and spiritual aspects of the holiday should be explained. Holidays are a period of one-on-one favors, when neighbors and relatives strengthen their relations.” said.
It can lead to negative consequences
Noting that the victim, with whom the child has an emotional bond, is suddenly cut off without informing him, Tarhan said, “The victim comes beforehand, the child plays with the sacrificed animal, the child establishes an emotional bond with the victim. The fact that they lay down and cut the sacrifice also causes fear. There are children who do not eat meat just for this reason. If you lay the child in front of his eyes and cut him without informing him, it can have such negative consequences.” warned.
It should be explained that it is a religious duty
Expressing that the Eid al-Adha should be explained to the child in order to avoid negative consequences, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said:
“Cultural learning comes to the fore as a 7-year-old child begins to develop a sense of reality and abstract thinking. It should be explained that this is a religious duty and has a social dimension such as helping the poor. In particular, information should be given about the culture of cooperation that emerged during the Eid al-Adha. It should be explained that there are people in need who enter meat from feast to feast, the poor should be considered, and it should be emphasized that it is a social worship. It is necessary to make the Eid al-Adha mentally acceptable for the child by explaining both its worship aspect and its spiritual dimension. This also applies to children over 7 years old. It is necessary to make him see the victim as a religious ritual, not as a form of violence.”
The child is not mentally ready zamEmphasizing that fears arise in moments, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “It is necessary to explain to the child what victimization means mentally and psychologically, and that shedding blood is not a pleasure. Not only this holiday, but other zamIt is necessary to explain to the child that we consume animal foods in order to meet our protein needs at these moments. Animals are fed and raised for this purpose, zamIt is important to say that when the moment comes, it is cut and consumed, and that there is such a balance in the universe.” said.
The child watches the body language of the parents
Stating that the parents reflect their own fears to the child, Prof. Dr. Tarhan said, “If the child is extremely afraid, the parents should self-criticize about it. If there is a concern that the child will experience trauma, the child should never be brought into that environment. If the parents are calm, the child is also calm because the child looks at the parents. If the parents are doing the normal rituals, the child will also be calm. If the reason for Eid al-Adha is explained patiently and calmly, the child will also be convinced. By looking at the body language of his parents, either trust is formed or fear is created.” said.
Holiday contributes to the socialization of the child
Emphasizing that children should be given responsibilities related to life, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan also noted that the holiday is important in terms of expressing feelings such as compassion and goodness. Stating that the child should be taught to cope with bad feelings and the concept of compassion, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “The balance of freedom and responsibility needs to be taught. From a young age, the responsibilities of life should be given to the child. Eid is an opportunity for that. The holiday contributes to the socialization of the child. In particular, holidays are a period of one-on-one favors when neighbors and relatives strengthen their relations. Holidays are the times when people help people they don't know. The child also learns to do good in this period. Doing good is such a feeling that it makes both the other party and the doer happy. Our forgotten traditions, such as helping each other and making visits during the holiday, help the child learn about life.” he said.
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