Surprising traditions for the ones who come to Turkey for the first time

Turkey is a significant Turkish country that different cultures live together in and rules over a large area. Turkish culture has been moved from the Middle Asia to Anatolia and it is combined with Islamic culture. Turkish culture creates an important cultural mozaic including many different types of traditions.

There are many different types of traditions which are surprising for foreigners. But these are internalized and applied by Turkish people. Even if many of these traditions are found in just small settlements anymore, some of them can found in big cities. Here are the some traditions which are surprising for the ones who come to Turkey for the first time;

Marriage  traditions in Turkey

There are some traditions of marriagein some regions not as much as the old times. The families, which have single daughters, put a bottle at chimney of the house to indicate that they have a single daughters. The candidate of groom who put himself in for that girl tries to break that bottle. The young man who broke the bottle put himself in for that girl, and he asks for the girl in marriage. He sends his family to girl’s house, which is called “görücü” in Turkish. If the decision of the girl and her family is positive, the couples are bound with a promise to wed after the tradition of asking for the girls in marriage. Then preparition of weddings begins.

Wedding traditions in Turkey

The traditionals motif of Turkey appear on weddings, on feasts, and on special days. Two young people love each other, and they are married with a wedding to share their happinesses with their friends and relatives. That is a traditional in Turkey. Of course, there is a rule about that tradition. The rule is that there is no wedding between two feasts. It is assumed that holding a wedding between the dates of  Religious Feasts such as; Ramadan Feast and the Feast of Sacrifice is a bad luck.

There are many other different traditions;

Groom cannot see the bride before the wedding

The red belt are bound to waist of bride who goes out from his family’s home.

The groom who goes to bride’s house to take the girl, cannot see the bride, and tip is wanted to open the door.

Feast traditions in Turkey

There are two religious feasts in Turkey such as; the Ramadan Feast and Feast of Sacrifice. There are emotions of national unity and solidarity in the days of feasts. Also people come together in these days.

To wake up early, to wear new clothes for the feast, to visit relatives are among the most important traditional motifs. The younger ones visit the family elders and kiss their hands in Feasts. The offended people make peace, and people help each other in these days.

Desserts are offered in Ramadan Feast when people offer to each other the meat of sheepin Feast of Sacrifice.

Birth traditions in Turkey

The couples overcome difficult traditions, and they get married. After that, more difficult traditions wait for them. One of them is pressure of families for having a child.

The families want the just married couples to have a child with traditional sentences like ; “ Come on ! Give us a grandchild. Child is the joy of house. The house doesn’t become a home without child.”

The newly borned child take his name of grandfathers or one of the family elders. While giving name to newly borned child, the azan is recited to his one ear and his name is said loudly three times to his other ear.

The evil eye talisman is put to his sides not to affected by negative energy. The evil eye talisman is never removed. Also the newly borned baby doesn’t get out of house until 40 days. Nobody can see him except from his families.