The cultural and everyday traditions and customs of Turkey are very diverse, because this multinational country was formed on the basis of the powerful Ottoman Empire, which existed for more than 600 years and subjugated the peoples of parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. Only on July 24, 1923, when the aggressive empire collapsed, the formation of Turkey as a state began, in which, in fact, there was no Turkish nation as such.
Story
The national composition of the population, inherited from the empire, had representatives of many peoples: Kurds, Circassians, Arabs, Meskhetians, Syrians, Laz, Balkars, Circassians. Each of them sought to preserve their religious, cultural and household traditions. And although now their descendants consider themselves Turks, they continue to keep their national canons, from which the extraordinary variety of Turkish customs arose.
The popular novel by the Turkish writer Gyuntekin โKorolok โ a singing birdโ, written by him in 1922, became widely known in our country in the late 80s of the last century, as well as the film of the same name based on it. The work about love reflects all layers of Turkish society, the social inequality of the very rich and the very poor; downtroddenness and oppression of Turkish women and, of course, folk traditions.
Now everything has changed since the writing of the novel: there is no striking social contrast in society; Basically, many seek to get a good education, master foreign languages, get the prestigious profession of a doctor, lawyer, economist, journalist. The rural population is becoming more civilized and wealthy, thanks to modern communications and connections. But as before, everyone is united by traditions and customs developed by ancestors and revered by modern descendants.
wedding customs
Marriage is given great paramount importance here, so the traditions and customs of the wedding are sacredly honored. Here it is customary to marry and get married at a fairly early age, while striving to observe the principle of social equality: a low-income man should not marry a girl from a wealthy family, so as not to infringe on her requests and worsen her financial situation in the future.
Although there are exceptions: not all modern young businessmen and politicians choose a financially secure life partner. The most common family unions are within religious and ethnic groups, but inter-ethnic ones are not prohibited by law.
The family code here is based on the Swiss civil code, which provides for the mutual consent of the newlyweds, the conclusion of a marriage contract and the principle of monogamy.
wedding ceremony rituals
Family discussion is held after the decision of the guy and the girl to marry, when each of them consults with members of his family, discussing all the details of the upcoming celebration.
Visit of close relatives of the groom to the bride's family to obtain consent to marriage.
Engagement, which consists in presenting the bride with gold jewelry: rings, earrings, bracelets after cutting the red thread connecting the rings of the bride and groom into 2 parts.
wedding preparations
Henna night is a kind of bachelorette party held two days before the wedding, in which only women participate. The traditional attire of the bride on this night should be a purple velvet dress, she (the bride) is seated in the center of the room, a plate of henna diluted with water is placed, where a lighted candle is placed. Those present, performing ritual songs, dance around the bride, and she sobs with her mother as a sign of sadness from the imminent separation from her parental home.
wedding ceremony
The wedding ceremony, where 200-300 guests are invited, begins with wild fun, accompanied by bravura music and graceful dances. Before the end of the celebration, it is the turn of presenting gifts according to the kinship hierarchy: first, the closest give, then the farthest, and so on in descending order.
The wedding night
โGerdekโ โ the first wedding night โ is a very important and responsible stage, when the virgin purity of the bride is checked, which is still of great importance in Turkey. Until now, in the morning, the bride must demonstrate to everyone on the sheet the traces of the loss of innocence. With mutual desire, young people can deceive the vigilance of relatives if they already had intimacy before the wedding.
Traditions of etiquette
hospitality rules
Turkish hospitality is akin to Caucasian, the Turks willingly invite guests to their place, using a special set of phrases and sentences that emphasize the desire of the hosts to see the guests at home. The guests who have come, traditionally placed on the floor on spread out pillows and mats, are supposed to be offered the best and most delicious. Dishes are served on a beautiful capacious tray, which is placed on a low table. But now in most city houses the feast is held according to European standards: at a large table served with a full set of eating utensils.
Table etiquette
It must be remembered that pieces from a common dish should be taken only with the right hand, you can talk at the table with the permission of the owner. It is considered indecent to quickly and greedily absorb food, to be away for a long time, to smoke without permission; participation in dances and performance of songs is welcomed. The houses of the Turks are divided into guest and host halves, so guests can only enter their own half, taking off their shoes before entering.
It is not customary in Turkish families to eat alone; they strictly ensure that everyone living in the same house is present at the table during meals. Turks eat a lot of greens and vegetable salads, which are served with every meal; they can drink anise tincture or beer at dinner, which are not considered alcoholic beverages among them, although they are strictly forbidden to drink in public places. Pork is never used in cooking, either in home or in catering.
Common gestures
Residents of Turkey use specific gestures, sometimes understandable only to them: snapping fingers means approval; click of the tongue โ on the contrary, disapproval or denial. Misunderstanding is expressed by a quick shake of the head from side to side or a surprised raise of the eyebrows. The consent sign is indicated by tilting the head to one side. When communicating with Turks, foreigners need to be more careful with their gestures, as they can be perceived by them in a completely different way.
Wearing traditions
Conservative people in Turkey, both men and women, prefer to wear traditional clothing, especially in rural areas. A mandatory attribute of national Turkish clothing are harem pants, in which representatives of both sexes walk. Men's clothes are sewn from denser fabrics, and women's clothes are made from thin transparent fabrics with decorations in the form of intricate patterns.
Over the trousers, women put on long dresses and robes made of satin, brocade, taffeta, muslin, and men wear long shirts tucked into trousers. Until now, many men wear a traditional headdress โ a fez โ a low cap made of red wool intertwined with blue, black or blue cord with a tassel.
Women wear bright, beautiful scarves on top. Now most business men wear European suits, shirts and ties. Young urban women are more committed to traditional dresses, complementing them with modern accessories and shoes, while older women strictly follow the customs of national attire.
Turks are intolerant of foreign tourists who appear off the beach in too revealing clothes: short shorts, low-cut tops or blouses. When going to a public place, you need to dress modestly, choosing a dress or skirt below the knees and with a small neckline; preferably in a hat or with a sleek hairdo. Visiting mosques and temples requires tourists to be very careful: men should not appear there in shorts, women should wear a long dress that covers their arms and legs; and cover your head with a scarf or scarf.
Customs associated with the birth of children
All close relatives, coming to congratulate the family on the birth of a child, should give the mother gold and silver jewelry and coins. The choice of a name is also discussed by the family clan, the approved name is pronounced aloud three times, one of the grandmothers reads a prayer in the ear of the newborn in a whisper. On the fortieth day of a newborn's life, prayers are also read for his health; before bathing, the child's body is rubbed with salt so that a bad smell does not come from him in the future.
Great importance is attached to the appearance of the first tooth in children: different objects are laid out in front of the baby and, according to what the child takes first, they make an assumption of who he (she) will become.
An important stage in the development of a boy is the rite of circumcision, for which he is prepared from an early age. This is a magnificent celebration when a boy, dressed like a king, is driven in a smartly decorated car, accompanied by a cortege to musical accompaniment. The boy is given gold coins as a sign that he has become a man that day and should have money.
Family relationships
In Turkish families, relationships are built on unquestioning obedience to men. For example, younger sisters fulfill the requirements of older sisters and all brothers, regardless of their age. The father, who retains the right to decide, enjoys indisputable authority among the mother and children. But the mother, especially the elderly, is not offended by the attention and caress of her children and grandchildren. In general, young people in Turkey, as well as in the Caucasus, treat the older generation with respect and respect: they give up their seats in public places and transport, stand up when the old people appear. It is considered indecent to smoke, to have obscene conversations if there are elderly people nearby.
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