Pigs slaughter is a traditional holiday or ritual in some European countries - in Hungary ( disznóvágás ), Czech Republic ( zabijačka ), Slovakia ( zabíjačka ), Portugal ( matança ), Spain ( matanza ), Germany ( Schlachtfest ), Croatia ( kolinje ) and other countries. In Muslim countries, custom is prohibited.
Pigs are fattened and divided into groups: piglets (from 1.5 to 3 months) and adult pigs; on fleshy and fatty. Boar meat is often stored a month after slaughter.
Basically, slaughter is carried out two or three times a year on farms. First, the pig is chopped with an ax blow, scalded with boiling water and the intestines are removed. Now pigs are electrocuted. When she fainted, they begin to cut her. In many countries, pork is served wine . In some countries there is a custom to give meat to neighbors. Traditionally pigs were killed in the winter, more often on Christmas . Now the slaughter of pigs is prohibited in many countries, but in the Middle Ages it was the only way to get meat.
For the preparation of products from the animal cut off the part that is needed for cooking. Ham and ham are made from salty backs. For bacon, use the breast. In Italy , sausages “ ventricina ” and “ collecade ” are made from pigs, and condiments are often added to them. For storage sausage is wrapped in a pork bladder . Aspic prepared from the head. Fat pigs are used to make lard and lard . Lard is made by heating the fat in an iron container. Shin prepared from the hips, brisket - from the back.
Pigs were killed for the manufacture of balls , which were made from pork bladder.
Yugoslavia
The slaughter of pigs in Yugoslavia is called kolinje or svinjokolje . In the territory of the former Yugoslavia, in rural families, pigs are killed in the late autumn. After the Second World War, this custom was carried out on November 29, which later became inoperative. In Dalmatia, custom is held between New Year and Christmas. The entire duration of the slaughter of pigs can reach three days. Later, people introduced the rule to kill more than one pig, which increased the time. During this custom in Yugoslavia, people should help their parents. At the same time, to simplify slaughter, mechanization is used, but traditionally it is necessary to chop meat manually. Grinding is carried out using hand-operated instruments.
Traditionally cooked hams ( šunka ), bacon ( slanina ), and sausages ( kobasica ) in Yugoslavia are delicacies. Pig's liver is usually prepared on the same day after slaughter. Pigs were killed by men, women remove intestines and cook meat. All men must be healthy, with clean hands, wearing a hat. Knives are sharpened, cleaned and disinfected. The surface must be clean and with a special gutter, working as a sewer.
The rules for hygiene requirements during animal slaughter in Croatia were adopted in 1992 , the rules for handling animal remains in 2003 . Animal rights protectors consider the custom cruel and outdated and are not sure that animal slaughter meets European standards and hygiene rules. In the process of Croatia's accession to the EU, new legislation considered the slaughter of pigs illegal. It could be held in specially built for this object. Now the families of Yugoslavia are testing meat for the amount of harmful substances.
France
In France, pigs are fed meat throughout the year. Slaughter ( tue-cochon ) occurs in the cold months of winter. This tradition in France is still allowed on farms and in families, but it is forbidden to kill pigs before the public. In 2012, this custom became the cultural heritage of France. Traditionally, the slaughter of pigs was a three-day French.
Day One: Slaughter
A pig is killed by several men. In France, the role of killing a pig is inherited. It is cut in an upright position. Then the intestines are removed and the body of the pig is left overnight in the basement, after breaking the ribs (men do it).
Second day: cooking meat
On the second day, the women take out pieces of meat. Some are left for storage, others are divided into:
- fatty (for cooking meat)
- pieces of meat with a lot of blood (they are seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic and served to the table)
- chunks with less blood (for sausages).
Day Three: Cooking Sausages
The third day is for cooking sausages and table setting. After cooking begins drying by the fireplace. On the table, sausages are served with slices of bread or eggs.
Czech Republic
In the Czech Republic, pigs are killed in the winter, more often in January, when the cold temperature facilitates the storage of meat. Preparation for the custom lasted for several days and included many ceremonies. After slaughter, families visit their neighbors' homes and give them fresh soup cooked after slaughter, and sometimes their meat. After that, a feast begins at the house. Sometimes guests dress in masks. Formerly, slaughter pigs ended on Ash Wednesday .
The traditional slaughter of pigs in the Czech Republic (as of 2011) is still taking place in many Czech cities and towns. However, this tradition is vanishing. In the second half of the 20th century, it was cheaper to buy a land for growing pigs than in the 21st century. On collective farms it was easier to get the food needed to feed the pig. In 2009, the Czech politician and MEP Jan Brzezina said:
| Having learned that animals in Romania were not sanitized before slaughter, this caused a hysterical reaction from European institutions. The first member states of the European Union began to demand tighter controls. |
Czech artist Josef Lada preferred to paint on the themes of home slaughter of pigs. In the play “The Pig” (1987), Vaclav Havel hardly buys a pig for slaughter on the market (in Czech zabijačka ). In 1968, Jerry Sebank, the founder of the theater Yara Zimrman , wrote the play “The Slaughter of the Pig”.
Slovakia
In Slovakia, slaughter of pigs ( zabíjačka , zakáľačka , bravčovina , svinský kar , karmina ) has been an integral part of the winter holidays since the early Middle Ages. The slaughter of pigs was considered an important event in the villages and an opportunity for families to come together. According to Katharina Nadaski from the Department of Ethnology and Anthropology at the University named after Y. A. Komensky , the traditional period for the slaughter of pigs began on December 21, on the day of Saint Thomas . The magical significance attached to the date, and farmers believed that the meat of the pig, killed on the day of St. Thomas, is stored longer. The second day of the year for the slaughter of pigs in Slovakia is Mardi Gras (the second day of Shrovetide ).
In Slovakia, there is also a custom held in the spring and associated with the slaughter of pigs. After slaughter the female pig, the women throw her bones. It was believed that whose bone would start to gnaw a dog, that woman would soon marry.
Catalonia
In Catalonia, the day of slaughter of pigs was considered November 11 ( St. Martin's Day ). All the people working on the farm took part in the custom. By tradition, men slaughtered a pig and removed intestines, while women cooked food. They were prepared so that half of them were eaten during a feast, while others can be preserved until spring.
Pig slaughter is a custom deeply rooted in Catalan culture. He is in danger of extinction due to certain rules of hygiene and animal rights protection. Catalan law prohibits the slaughter of animals before the public. Pig slaughter is still being held in Valderrobresse and Serres .
In other places, slaughter of pigs is not a custom, they are killed for meat twice a year.
Spain
Buying a pig and fattening
Often families buy a pig in March and agree in advance with the sellers in the markets. Then it is kept for several months at the site in order for the animal to get used to this place. In October and November, pigs are fed acorns.
Slaughter
Traditionally, before slaughter in the house invite neighbors and friends. Slaughter usually takes place on November 30, on the day of St. Andrew, or on Christmas. The custom begins at 9-10 am. Pig kill hook. Women and children collect blood in the cup. Then the meat is prepared dishes.
Dishes
Meat is prepared a variety of dishes. In Alista pig meat is made from sausage and served with bread and sugar. In Cantabria , where slaughter is called matacíu , sausage is made with the addition of onions, corn flour, wheat and spices and the remains of a pig are burned. In Aragon , mainly in the province of Huesca , slices of sausage are used to prepare a torte . In the south of Castile, a delicacy is pig soup . In the 13th century, Spain was inhabited, in addition to Christians, by Muslims whose religion forbids eating pork. The slaughter of a pig by a man was proof that he was a Christian. Some Spanish cultural excursions include the custom of slaughtering pigs. They were also killed before the Gigantes y cabezudos parade , where they were waving bladders on sticks, but this was not a custom.
Mallorca Island
On the island of Mallorca, during the time of slaughter, a prayer is recited, and the pigs hang their penis or bladder near the house. Fat is used to lubricate tools.
Laws
In 2007, the Spanish authorities introduced a law on the treatment of pigs: slaughter, preparation. The law says that it is not customary to cut a pig without hitting it with a shock. Failure to comply with the law faces a fine of 600 euros .
Sayings
In Spain, there are also sayings: “Every pig will wait for its San Martin” (there is an end to everything) and “An old woman kills a pig” (about something unusual, since strong men killed pigs).
Estonia
In the 1990s, it was forbidden to buy pigs in the market in Estonia . In 2003, a dispute was held between supporters of slaughter (who believe that this tradition is disappearing, and it must be revived) and supporters of EU laws (on the observance of hygiene rules).
Germany
In Germany, after the slaughter of pigs ( Schlachtfest ) give meat to neighbors. Pig bladder hang on the fence. Schlachtfest is still prevalent in Swabia and Saxony .
Portugal
In Portugal, pigs are killed in the winter. In Galicia, the slaughter process takes place by cutting the carotid artery. From the blood of pigs prepare a dessert.
Mexico
In Mexico, pigs are killed by incision of the chest. Until the animal completely bleeds, it is forbidden to cook it. Garlic, milk, cinnamon, salt, orange, tequila are added to the meat. Meat snacks.
Russia
Earlier in Russia, pigs were killed at Christmas, but the slaughter of pigs was not the custom. Now pigs are killed every two years for the sake of meat.
China
In China, slaughtering a pig is not a traditional custom, but a pig's bladder is used as a mask in the opera "bi-lian".
Hungary
In Hungary, after slaughter, it is customary to cook traditional sausage.