Tradition says that every year, at dawn on January 18, God sent a deer to the inhabitants of Kryonero, a village of Eastern Thrace. After the deer rested in the yard of the church, it was sacrificed, with the blessing of the priest, by the “kurbanjides”, the sacrificers. This ritual took place at dawn on the day of the feast of Saint Athanasius. Then the animal was cooked and distributed to the locals. The meat dish was called kurbani after the Turkish word “kurban” which means sacrifice.

There was a year when the deer was late to come and the sacrificers [the “kurbanjides”], upset by the delay, expedited the sacrifice and did not let the deer rest, as they used to do. From that time on, the deer did not reappear. The locals believed that their action invoked God’s anger. This is why today the re-enactment of the custom involves the use of a bull or a cow.
The increase in local population has necessitated the sacrifice of three or more animals. The preparations start very early. A sacrifice committee is set up under the guidance and with the participation of the local cultural club.
The sacrificers [the “kurbanjides”] collect the locals’ contributions in money and kind (wheat and corn inter alia). The objective is for them to buy the animals that will be used for the preparation of the “kurbani” dish.
The winnowing process, consisting in separating the grain from the husk, and the Great Vespers service take place in the yard of the church on the eve of the feast of Saint Athanasius. His icon is then carried in procession. Moreover, cauldrons are placed at the yard of the church. They will be used for the preparation of the “kurbani” soup.
At dawn on January, 18, after being blessed by the priest, the meat is cut into pieces and put into cauldrons to boil. Hulled grain broken into fragments, the so-called groats, is added to the meat juice. When the groats boil, the “kurbani” soup is ready. After the end of the Holy Liturgy, the sacrificers [“the kurbanjides”] treat the attendants of the fete to this dish. In the early afternoon, after the “kurbani” soup is ready, bells ring to call the faithful to the yard of the church, where the soup will be distributed. Then, the sacrificers [the “kurbanjides”] and all the guests get to the square of the village while dancing and feasting to the accompaniment of the zurna and the snare drums.

The information and the photo were drawn from : the web page of the cultural club of Kalabaki