View source for Kourbania

'''Kourbania''' (Greek: το κουρμπάνι (sing.), τα κουρμπάνια (pl.); via Turkish ''Kurban,'' from the Arabic ''[[w:Qurban|Qurban]]'' "sacrificial victim"; compare Hebrew ''[[w:Korban|Korban]]'') refers to a practice of Christianized [[w:Animal sacrifice|animal sacrifice]] in some parts of Greece. It usually involving the slaughter of lambs as "kourbania" offerings to certain [[saints]]. 

In antiquity the sacrifice was offered for health (or following an accident or illness), as a votive offering promised to the Lord by the community (or by the relatives of the victim). Writing in 1979, Stella Georgoudi stated that the custom survived in "some villages of modern Greece" and was "slowly deteriorating and dying out". 

A similar custom from Bulgaria known as ''' ''Kurban'' ''' is celebrated on St. [[George the Trophy-bearer|George]]'s day.