Places, Dancers, Preparations and Reasons for the Performance of Folk Dances

Folk dances are performed at weddings, engagement ceremonies, when sending young men off to perform their military service, at national and religious festivals, after victories, going to and coming back from from the high plateaus and at meetings such as ferfene, yaren talks, barana or sira gezmesi.

Dances are generally performed in all suitable open areas, but may also be performed in close areas as well.
People who enjoy reputations as good folk dancers are especially invited to wedding ceremonies. These are respectable people who have knowledge of that region’s music and folk dances. Folk dances owe their rich variety of moves to such people, who happily improvise while performing in order to show off their skills. In this way, dances are successfully passed on to people who may or may not be capable of dancing themselves, especially the young ones.

Folk Dance Traditions, Beliefs, Legends and Stories
Some dances reflect natural events or daily life, and others treat social events and matters of the heart. For example, the Kimil dance from Urfa province portrays a kind of pest that harms the crops and the way that villagers attempt to deal with it. Other dances refer to other stories.

Costumes, Instruments and Names of Folk Dances

People wear daily or special costumes in line with the reasons behind the particular dance. Please visit the costume and finery section of this site for further information.

In Turkey folk dance is invariably accompanied by musical instruments. (Please refer to the music section) In some regions, women perform also folk dances to the accompaniment of folk songs.

Folk dances are named after their creators, geographic regions, or the natural events or stories they relate.

Folk Dances By Subject Matter
Folk dances may be divided into those that describe the relationship between man and nature,those that dealing with rain, mist and rivers, describing plants, defining numbers, describing the relationship between man and animals and taking social events such as fighting war, love and courtship as their subject matter. Then there are those that reflect the ceremonies performed when a young man is about to go to do his military service. There are dances about agriculture, the harvest and damaged crops. Other dances describe different occupations, such as shepherds. Men can perform dances that mirror the everyday lives of women. Then there are dances that describe daily tasks such as baking bread and milking, and others that describe a production procedure such as spinning yarn.

Different types of group dances in different regions
There are many different types of folk dances performed in various ways in Turkey, and these reflect the cultural structure of each region. The bar in Erzurum province, the halay in the East and Southeast, the hora in Thrace, the horon in the Black Sea and spoon dances in and around Konya are the best known examples of these.

Adapting Folk Dances
Folk dances eventually moved away their natural environment and became an art form of their own by means of contests and festivals. Arrangements are being made to adapt these dances to the stage.

Detailed information on this is provided in the folk dance and traditional theatre sections. Apart from these, however, some games like asik, which is mentioned in the children’s section, and games based on words and inclusively referred to as “indoor games” are played by adults, too.

Although living conditions and technological developments make it difficult for most people to devote much time to games, they still have an important place in children’s lives.

Children’s games are actually their main source of entertainment. Today, however, as a result of the changes in forms entertainment tools and advances in communications, children’s games have changed, and many old games are no longer played. Nevertheless, children’s games are still played in poor neighborhoods and in school playgrounds.

Besides their entertainment value, games also influence children’s social, psychological and physical development. Games help feelings of collaboration and mutual respect to form.

Children’s games are classified according to the place and materials used in the game and the gender by which they are played.
Hide and seek, which is played on a wide basis, is one of the best-known examples of children’s games. The game is played in an open area with at least four or five participants. The first task is to decide who is to be ‘it.’ There are also various ways of doing that. After that, the castle is chosen. This may be a wall or a tree. Whoever is ‘it’ leans against castle and starts to count while the others go off to hide. When the counting is finished, the ‘it’ says, “My front, back, left, right is free!” in order to prevent anyone hiding too close and the search begins. He announces the names of the children he has found and then returns to touch the castle. If the person who has just been found can touch the castle before the “it,” does, he is spared having to do the counting and searching next time. At the end of the game, if there is more than one candidate for the position of “it,” the candidates secretly select the names of flowers or fruit and ask “it” to chose one of them. For example, if “it” says “apple,” the child who chose the word apple assumes the role of ‘it.’ Hide and seek is played in many regions under different names.
Children split up after reciting a little verse.
A needle pierces
Hurts me
Plump bird
Run to the car
Wheel of the car
Candy of Istanbul
Hop hop hop
There’s no other game
Examples of Games Peculiar to Children:
Bezirgan Basi (Head of the Grasping Trader): This is played with at least 10 people. Two players are chosen, and these take the names “golden watch” and “golden bracelet.” These two stand face-to-face, hold and raise their hands. The others walk and pass under these two children’s hands saying:
Open the door
Head of the grasping trader
What do you give
As a deal?
What do you give?
The person behind me
Let him be a souvenir
Let him be a souvenir.
When the last sentence is recited, one of the players is captured. The two doing the catching take him and ask whether he prefers the golden watch or the golden bracelet. Depending on his answer, the boy stands behind one or other of the two. The process continues until all the players have been caught. The two groups of children then hold each other tightly by the waist. They assume a position behind a line drawn between them and engage in a contest closely resembling a tug-of-war, each group trying to pull the other over the line. The group which is pulled over the line loses the game. The game continues until everyone has grown tired of it.

Leapfrog (Long Donkey)
This is played with at least four people. Two of the players are chosen to be ‘it.’ These turn to their backs to each other, put their hands on their knees, and face away from each other. Other players come and jump over the others in turns. Anyone who falls over while jumping becomes “it” himself. The other players keep on jumping while saying, “One is one, my two is two, my three is three, my four is four….” Comic actions may also be included. For example, the seventh player may say “My seven is seven, I am kicked” and other players kick the player bending over. The eighth player says, “My eight is hopscotch and stands on one foot. Other players after him have to stand on one foot after completing their jumps. The eighth player has the right to order other players after him to stand on one foot. As soon as the ninth player says, “My nine is nine,’ all the players have to freeze. The tenth players says, “My ten is the reaping hook, cannon of the conqueror” and starts to hit the “it.”
The game continues with the choosing of a new “it.”

Traditional Theatrical Presentations

KARAGÖZ
This is a shadow play based on the movements of representations of people, animals or objects called “tasvir” made of water buffalo or camel skin with the help of sticks against a curtain with s strong source of light behind it. The play takes name from its main character, Karagöz.

Southeast Asia is considered to be the origin of shadow theatre. There are different opinions as to its existence in Turkey. According to one view, the “kor kolcak” and “ cadir” games of Central Asia were in fact examples of shadow theatre and came to Anatolia by means of migration. Another opinion holds that Sultan Yavuz Selim brought shadow theatre artists to Turkey when he captured Egypt in 1517.

Karagöz, which took its final shape in the 18th century, was always one of the most popular forms of entertainment. Karagöz shows are performed by one single artists. Movements of the models on the curtain, their voices, different accents and mimicry are all carried out by a single person.

The subject matter in Karagöz is dealt with in an amusing way. The main comic elements are double meanings, overstatements, word games and mimicry.

1. The initial section, in which Hacivat comes onto the curtain with singing and calls for Karagöz, is called “mukaddime.” In this section, the poem that is read out by Hacivat emphasizes that the play aims to teach people and has an element of Islamic mysticism.
2. In the “muhavere” section, there is a discussion between the main protagonists, Karagöz and Hacivat, apart from the main subject matter and based on words, not action. “Muhavere” may also be composed by using repartee. In this section, there is an emphasis on the differences between the characteristics of Karagöz and Hacivat. The “muhavere” may or may not be related to the play itself. There are also some other types of muhavere, such as muhavere with double Karagöz, transient muhavere or interval muhavere.
3. The section in which story is told and the other characters come onto the curtain is called the “fasil.” The play takes its name from the topic that is set out in this part. Some characters leave the play in this section, although Karagöz and Hacivat stay on the curtain.
4. In the final part, Karagöz and Hacivat announce that the play is about to end, apologize for their mistakes and announce the following play.
Karagöz also contains a considerable element of satire and lampooning, which refer to the state authorities in a comic style.

The main characters in the play are Karagöz and Hacivat. Karagöz represents the morals and common sense of the nation. Hacivat has had a good education and lives in harmony with the prevailing system of corruption. The other characters in the play are Tuzsuz Celebi, Matiz, Beberuhi, Arnavut, Yahudi, Cerkez, Kürt and Laz,

Karagöz attracted the interest of and was supported by the palace. In the ceremonies and circumcision rituals organized by the palace, Karagöz plays were a major attraction.

Karagöz became an integral part of the Istanbul-based Ottoman culture. We can observe elements of daily life of Istanbul in these plays. Agalik (generosity), Büyük Evlenme (Marrying Old), Kayik (boat) and Tahmis are some examples of this. The other well known Karagöz plays are Ferhat and Sirin, Balikci (fisherman), Cazular, Kanli Nigar (Bloody Nigar), Layla and Mecnun, Ters Evlenme (Converse Marriage), Tahir and Zühre, Yalova Sefasi (The Pleasure of Yalova), Karagöz’ün Yaziciligi (Karagöz as a Writer), Karagöz’ün Asikligi (Karagöz in Love), Karagöz’ün Hekimligi (Karagöz the Doctor).

Karagöz Techniques
The curtain on which Karagöz plays are performed is called the “ayna” (mirror). Curtains used to be 2 x 2.5 m at first, but were then decreased to 110 x 80 cm. Inside, there is a “pes tahtasi” placed under the curtain. Added to this there are a bell, tambourine, bamboo, nareke (pipe) and candles or an electric bulb to illuminate the curtain. The models used in the play are 32-40 cm long and generally made of camel or water buffalo skin. The leather is made transparent by the use of a special method in which it is processed with sharp knife called a “nevregan.” The individual parts of the puppets are tied to each other with cords known as ‘kalkut’ or ‘kiris.’ After this process, the puppets are colored with Indian ink or natural paints.

Karagöz, which was an important source of entertainment in the Ottoman period, used to be perfprmed during Ramadan, religious ceremonies, at circumcision ceremonies and in coffee houses or gardens. It commented on the social events of the period in a satirical style, and as we know, it was generally performed in Istanbul. It spread to other parts of Anatolia as artists began to go on tour.

Today, Karagöz is generally performed in tourist hotels and restaurants. It also reaches a wider audience by means of television.
Work on Karagöz, which is trying to survive under difficult conditions, is co-ordinated with the Ministry of Culture and the Turkish National Center of the International Union of Puppet and Shadow Theatre (UNIMA).

PUPPET
Puppets, meaning “baby” in Turkish, are one of the oldest forms of entertainment, and have been found in Anatolia under different names such as korcak, kudurcuk, kaburcuk, kogurcak, kaurcak, lubet etc. Puppet shows “Korkolcak” and “Cadir Hayal” (puppet with ropes) are also known by the same names in Central Asia, which is therefore believed to be the origin of the whole tradition.

Puppet shows can be seen in many Turkish communities, and have their own basic techniques. They have been performed in Turkish cities since the 17th century, and are generally known as “bebek, cömce, gelin or karacor” in villages. The puppet show a play of movement and considerable volume that takes its topics from daily life and literary stories. It has been performed since the 14th century. The main characters of the play are “Ibis” and “the old man.” While Ibis is cunning and good at making quick replies, the old man is wise and wealthy.

The art of puppetry, which consists of different elements such as puppets with rope, hand puppets, car puppets and chair puppets, has lost much of its importance since the 19th century. Only a few artists worked to keep this art alive in the republican period. Today, Ihsan Dizdar, Selim Basegmez, M. Tahir Ikiler, Haluk Yüce and Duygu Tansi are still working to perpetuate the art.

MEDDAH

Meddahlik (the art of the meddah) is the art of storytelling and mimicry. The curtain, stage, decoration and costumes are all found in a single person, and it is therefore a one-man show.

The meddah tells stories to audience while sitting on a chair. His stories deal with events from daily life, folk tales, epics, stories and legends.
The stage props of the meddah are a handkerchief and a cudgel. He begins his stories, that are generally funny and have moral and literary conclusions to them, by saying, “r’viy’i ahbar, n’kil’n-i sar ve muhaddiis’n rüzigar söyle rivayet eder ki…” (The skies, legends and the voice of winds say that…) and after giving information about the main characters, he tells his tale. The meddah works alone, sole actor in a play that includes many characters. The meddah would perform at the Ottoman palace, in cities, on Ramadan nights, in coffee houses and at circumcision feasts in an age when listening was much more popular than reading. Meddahlik is the predecessor of the stand-up shows of today.

Theatrical Presentations in Villages

VILLAGE PLAYS
Village plays are ritual plays performed by villagers on special days, festivals and wedding ceremonies, and are aimed increasing abundance and good health or else to welcome in the New Year. These plays are performed either in open spaces or indoors on winter days. These plays have come down from ancient times, although they have changed in the process, but the first examples were performed to give thanks to the god and supernatural powers for abundance and prosperity in life. These plays are based on myths and similar beliefs and contain the cultural essence of the people of Anatolia, cultural elements brought in from Central Asia and some other Islamic elements which entered Turkish culture after conversion to Islam.
Village plays are examples of primitive theatre. More than artistic concerns, they have social and religious functions.
There are different types of village plays, such as those dealing with daily life (the blacksmith, barber, ploughing etc.), plays that refer to animals (the camel, bear, fox, eagle, etc.), those that concern themselves with the changing seasons (a bride that has very sparse hair), plays that are performed for the increase of abundance (saya visits, ram mating ceremonies, the cemal play etc.), and plays for rain.
Cemal Play: This is performed on the day of sowing or at the end of the harvest.
Ram mating: This aims to control the reproduction season of the animals, since their young are unable to survive or feed themselves in the winter months. This is one variety of seasonal festival.
Face of Camel, Face of Sheep: Performed on the day when the unborn young grow their first hair inside the wombs of pregnant animals.

A number of religious and traditional practices are particularly to be found on mountains, high hills or near the graves of holy figures, either to encourage rain or stop heavy rain which may cause floods. Prayers for sufficient rainfall may also be offered. Within this framework, a number of external factors can play a role in these practices, such as the place chosen for prayer, the time, the meal eaten after the prayer for rain, animals that are taken to the prayer site, clothes worn on the prayer day, and practices carried out on the return journey.

These are often made in the context of religion. At first glance, vows appear to be a promise based on certain conditions. For instance, "If my wish comes true, I will sacrifice an animal”. There are also other vows for the good of a person or a group, such as lighting candles. Vows may be aimed at an animal or object as well as behavior or a change in attitudes. Fasting is one example. Places near rocks, trees, water and the graves of holy figures may be used for votive offerings.

On the same subject, places which are considered sacred include the graves and tombs of holy figures, intersection points of three or four roads, wells, springs, fountains, pools, lakes, trees, plants etc.

Traditional popular practices such as fortune telling and fortune tellers, the reasons why people go to fortune tellers, different kinds of fortune telling such as using coffee, tea, tarot cards, playing cards etc., materials used in fortune telling, interpretation of events, interpretation of dreams,“istihare” (making a wish before sleeping) and its different varieties, practices carried out before “istihare,” making contact with supernatural beings, necromancy, mediums, reading others’ thoughts, influencing another’s faith, destiny and luck, and making wishes.

People who suffer from the evil eye, its effects and characteristics, the act of being stricken by the evil eye, the evil eye and amulets used for protection against it for goods, property and animals, measures taken against the evil eye, talismans such as the muska (a necklace containing hidden prayers) used against evil eye, practices such as pouring lead, turning salt and making incense.

The spell can briefly be defined as the belief that nature may be affected by using supernatural powers. The first human communities took their conceptions of supernatural power from nature itself. Man possessed little infornmed knowledge of nature, even as regards the simplest subjects, and considered nature a terrifying power, which people could experience in every field of life. Eventually that power became isolated from the concept of nature itself and took on an entirely different identity. The first human beings believed that protection from this power and all its manifestations was necessary, and began conceiving of these matters as taboos. It was believed that if a person broke a taboo, the only way he could survive was be employing a magical spell. In the first examples of spells, we find ourselves dealing with the concept of using supernatural forces to get rid of other supernatural forces. In this framework of thinking, the parts all add up to a whole, and things done to the whole also affect the component parts. This understanding is the source of the analogical spell. That is why people believe if they cast a spell on an object that belongs to someone else, that person will also be affected by the spell, or they believe that if they pour water on the ground, it will rain. Some people believe that if an effigy is made of the person whose death is desired is made and that effigy is tortured, that will affect the person it represents in exactly the same way. This idea eventually leads to the individual being identified with the symbol. That is why the ancient Turks never referred to the wolf by its proper name, “kurt,” but used other names such as “böcü”, “börü”, “canavar”. Similar to this belief, in some parts of Anatolia people still draw circles around the places they live and accompany this with prayers, in the belief that the circle will act as a wall to protect them from wild animals. There are different kinds of spell, which are generally divided into black and white. While white spells aim to produce beneficial results, black spells are used for evil purposes. In Turkey, spells are generally used to make a man more attached to his family or to moderate his behaviour in some way, to make someone love , to find an object which has been lost, to defeat the enemy, to create better fortune or to create a misunderstanding between two people. For instance, in order to cast a love spell, three peppers are taken, the sura Tebbet of the Koran is read out for the each seed of the peppers, although these are kept separate from one another. After the readings have been made, the seeds are put back inside the peppers and buried in ashes. The person casting the spell hits the right wall of the house and says:
I hit my hand on the wall
The wall shattered into three
Brainy came out from the first
And Ismail the fairy from the other
I sent Brainy to the cave
I sent Ismail fairy to……. (The name of a person whose love is desired)
Who comes to me without stopping or resting?
Although many spells involve reading extracts from the Koran, magic is actually definitively prohibited in Islam.
Spells generally frighten people, no matter whether used good or bad purposes. For this reason there are a number of means by which one can protect oneself from spells cast by someone else. These include performing ritual ablutions with water from a mill, jumping over rivers, or casting a counter-spell.

Certain beliefs among the members of a society sometimes arise out of fear, sometimes from helplessness and sometimes by chance. These are generally referred to as “superstitions.” These beliefs have existed since the earliest days of mankind. Many of them have no scientific basis and are not linked to any particular religious faith. Although they often appear illogical or unreasonable, they are still an integral part of peoples’ hearts, brains and minds. In the emergence of such beliefs, peoples’ psychological make-up, the words of the, often illiterate, elderly as well as those of religious officials have all played a role. These beliefs have even revealed differences between individuals, yet they all have certain aspects in common.

Popular Beliefs Related to Spirits, Graveyards, Holy Tombs and Visits:
- Anyone who cuts down trees near visiting places will be paralyzed.
- Anyone who takes anything from a holy tomb will be paralyzed.
- It is not good to point out the grave. The fingers of anyone who does so will grow weak and thin.
- If an animal puts out its tongue when being sacrificed, it is believed that the owner of the animal will die within the year.
- If a child constantly cries, it is believed that someone will die in that house.
-When a bunch of flowers is placed on a grave, the spirit of that person returns. He knocks his head on the wood when trying to get up and says, “My God, I am dead”.
- The flesh and the bones separate 40-52 days after death. People gather in the dead person’s house and pray together for the flesh and the bones to separate easily.
- The spirit of the dead person visits his house seven days following death.
- If a show turns upside down when being taken off, it is believed that the owner of the shoe will die in the near future.
- Seeing dead people in dreams is regarded as an omen for the living. It is believed that a guest will come if a dead person is seen in a dream.
- It is not good to put one’s socks near the head end of the bed, it is believed that the owner of those socks will soon pass away.
- Bringing a dead body inside a house is considered unlucky. If that happens, it is believed that three people from that house will die.
- Painting is considered a sin, it is believed that on doomsday the painter will have to give his spirit to the things he painted.
- Angels will fly away from places that house paintings. - Trees in graveyards may not be cut down, it is believed that genies live among such trees.
- It is forbidden to sleep in a graveyard.
- If someone dies at night, a knife is placed on the body until morning.
- In order to make sweet yogurt, bushes from a grave are picked and thrown in the fire over which the milk is heated.
- It is considered bad luck to break a mirror.
- The lights are not turned off for three days in a house in which a dead body has been washed.
- The shoes of people who come to offer their condolences are not turned around.
- It is believed that, if the gravedigger is not given a tip the deas will not rest easy.
- One may not sit cross-legged when the call to prayer is recited.
- It is forbidden to take stones or soil from graveyards.
- The howling of a dog is considered a sign of approaching death.
- The house is not cleaned, clothes are not washed and water is not taken from outside until the dead person has been buried.
- Graveyards are never enlarged, since it is believed that this will increase the number of dead people.
- Those who wear dead peoples’ clothes will live a long time.
- The shroud may not be cut with knife or scissors.
- If a cat jumps over a dead body before it is taken out of the house, it is believed that the body will become a fearsome ghost.
- If an animal walks in front of someone who is performing ritual prayers in a house, the prayer is invalidated.
- While performing ritual prayers in rural areas, stones or sticks are piled up to prevent animals approaching.
- Smoking is not permitted in graveyards.
- If someone becomes infested with lice, it is believed that he will die soon.
- The neighbors of a dead person pour all the water out of their houses, since it is believed that they will die if they do not.
- Beds are repaired starting from the head end. Only the beds of dead people are repaired starting from the foot end.

Popular Beliefs Related to Animals:
- A snake in a house, guards it.
- If a snake is killed, thrown in water and disappears, it is believed that there will be continuous rain and floods.
- When a wolf howls, the weather will be very cold, or there will be snow.
- If an owl hoots in front of a house, either a member of the house will or there will be a disaster in that house.
- When a cow gives birth, heavy things are not carried into the house, since it is believed that if heavy things are carried in, the cow will not have enough milk.
- When a cow gives birth, its first milk is not taken outside the house for fear the cow will lose its all milk. Coal is mixed with the first milk of animal.
- It is not good to milk an animal onto the soil, or the animal may fall ill.
- If a stranger walks among a herd on its way to the high plateaus, it is believed that the animals will not become pregnant that year.
- A black cat passing in front of a person and the hooting of an owl are both considered bad luck. A burning wooden stick has to be thrown at the owl.
- If a person comes across a rabbit on his path, he may have bad luck. He should turn around and walk back by the same road he came.
- The howling of a jackal is considered bad luck. The man who hears it must spit on the ground; otherwise he may face a disaster.
- When a jackal starts to howl, it is a sign of sunny weather. (According to another belief, it is a sign of rain)
- If a person steps on a cat by mistake before entering his wedding chamber, he will not succeed in his duties.
- If a snake is thrown into the fire alive, it will rain.
-If a crow comes near a house and caws, that house will receive news from abroad.
- It is good to see scorpions in one’s dreams.
- Sleeping in the same room as a cat is considered bad. The cat will steal the person’s soul and shortens his life.
- When a crow caws, snow is on the way.
- Dogs barking late at night, a cock crowing at an unexpected time and the bellowing of an ox in the night are all considered signs of bad things to come. (Such as an enemy attack, earthquake, catastrophe etc)
- If a dog looks at the sky and barks, it is a sign of blood.
- It is sin to kill a pigeon, dove, martin or stork.
- Lambs are not shown to foreigners unless they buy them.
- The flesh of hunted animals is not given to others. If it is given, coins have to be taken in return.
- Seeing a snake is considered good luck.
- Seeing a partridge is considered bad luck.
- When the cock crows, it will rain.
- If an owl lands on a house, it is believed that the house will have bad luck.
- A chicken crowing like a cock is a sign of bad luck. That chicken must be killed immediately.
- Cats never fall on their back because one was touched by Ali.
- The bones of a sacrificed animal may not be broken. - The blood and the bones of a sacrificed animal must be buried.
Beliefs Related to the Stove and Fire:
- Spitting on fire, cursing or throwing water and nails on it will bring bad luck.
- If someone gives fire from his stove to somebody else in the morning, it is believed that his own stove will go out.
- Genies cannot avoid places where a fire is burning.
- Leaving the stove empty will bring bad luck.
- If a trivet falls down suddenly for no reason, that house will suffer a catastrophe.
- If a trivet is left empty, it is believed that the devil will use it for cooking.
- If a trivet is left empty, the water for a dead person will soon be boiled on that trivet.
- If water boils on the trivet for no reason, it means one’s enemies are increasing.
- Fire is not taken out of the house in the evening.
- If there is not enough light in the house, the stove will go out. The grave of the householder will also be dark.
- If sick animals jump over the fire, they may recover.
- Water is not used to die down the fire, it is covered with soil.
- Even if the fire went out long ago, it is not good to sleep near the ashes. People believe that the devil and genies romp in the ashes.
- Throwing water or urinating on the ashes are not considered good.
- To stop it raining, a trivet with a knife on the middle is put in the garden.
- It is a sin to sleep near a stove which has gone out.
- One cannot walk on or jump over ashes at night, since it is believed that the devil will comes.
- If the fire makes too much noise, it is a sign that there is gossip about the person who lit the fire.
Popular Beliefs Related to Agriculture and Plants:
- If someone falls from an elm tree, he won’t live long. - Elm wood must not be used for cradles or chests.
- The devil will take away anyone who sleeps under a fig tree.
- People living under walnut trees are taken away by the devil.
- Having sexual intercourse in the fields damages their fertility.
- Anyone who eats a single grape or the stem side of a melon will be orphaned.
- The olive is regarded as sacred.
- Sleeping alone under a large, old tree is not good for the future.
- It is not permitted to have sexual intercourse or urinate in a field full of crops.
- Walking in fields where crops are being harvested reduces the yield.
- Anyone who goes to the fields for harvesting has to take a bath and perform a ritual ablution for good luck first.
- Anyone who lies under the shade of a walnut tree becomes unsuccessful and incompetent. It is thought that everything that happens around it is recorded by the walnut tree, and when it is cut down all secrets comes to light from the middle of the tree.
- If the clothes of a baby are hung on a wild tree, the baby will become wild, too.
- It is a sin to spill the seeds of the pomegranate because the pomegranate is regarded as the fruit of heaven.
- When taking milk or yogurt out of the house, coal or a green leaf is put on top, otherwise it is believed that the cow will become paralyzed.
- Anyone who sits or lies under a mulberry tree will be paralyzed by a demon.
- If dough leaps out of the pot while being kneaded, a visitor will come.
- Any house which has many water vessels will see many deaths.
- Death rarely comes to a house which is full of wheat.
- Anyone who sleeps by the edge of a field will be paralyzed.
- Anyone who sleeps under an olive tree will be overcome by sleepiness.
- Anyone who sleeps under a fig tree will be overcome by sleepiness.
Beliefs Related to Parts of the Body:
- When a tooth is extracted, it either has to be buried or hideden in a place that nobody can find.
- Joining one’s hands on one’s knees and crossing the fingers of one’s hands are considered signs of bad fortune, so one must try not to do so.
- Cracking one’s knuckles is a sign of good health.
- When washing one’s hands, one must start with the right hand, otherwise he may have bad luck.
- When shaking hands or giving something to someone, the right hand must be used. The left hand is considered a sign of bad luck.
- One must not face in the direction of Mecca when putting one’s socks on.
- One must start with the right foot when putting on one’s socks.
- When someone has an itchy nose, it means people are gossiping about him.
- If one’s right hand itches, it is a sign that money is on the way. If the left hand itches, it is believed that money will be spent.
- The nails are not cut at night.
- Chewing gum is not allowed at night. People think it is not gum but the flesh of a dead body that is being chewed.
- It is believed that anyone who has an itch on his feet will go on holiday.
- Agate stops bleeding and brings good fortune.
- If an infant walks between two people who have not performed a ritual ablution, it is believed that the child will have open sores on his body.
- Hearing echoes in the left ear is a sign of prosperity.
- Hearing echoes in the right ear is a sign of good health.
- A twitch in the eye is considered a bad sign, as people believe that it is the messenger of death.
- When someone has echoes in the ear, it is believed that he or she has been remembered by a person living abroad.
- Putting one leg over the other when sitting is viewed as sinful.
- If a person loses a tooth from the upper side of the jaw, it is believed that he or she will lose one of his parents.
- If a person loses his top-right molar, it is believed that he will lose either his older brother or his uncle.
- If a person loses his top-left molar, it is believed that he will lose either his brother or his child.
- An itch in the hand means money is on the way.
- If someone steps on hair that has been cut, the owner of the hair will have a headache.
- If birds take the hair away, the owner of the hair will have a headache.
Beliefs Related to Celestial Bodies:
- People, who bath under the moonlight and in shadow, will shine as bright as the moon.
- Water on which the moonlight has been reflected may not br drunk, since it is believed that anyone who drinks that water have bad luck.
- Someone dies when a shooting star is seen.
- Babies born on the full moon are considered lucky, and it is believed that these babies will have a bright destiny.
- Girls born on the full moon are very beautiful with shining skin when they grow up.
- Cursing and spitting at the moon are considered unlucky.
- Sleeping while sun is going down may shorten one’s life span.
- Working in the fields during the solstice is not allowed.
- Animals sense the coming of a solar eclipse and express it with fear and screaming.
- The sun shines on the beautiful.
- Fruits that have been seeded during the old moon, bring abundance to the fields.
- When the moon is in crescent position, if it points to the earth, the month will be rainy, if they point to the sky, the month will be be dry.
- If someone loses his child as the sun goes down, he must not drink water.
- Sowing and harvesting activities are not allowed before the new moon.
- Trees are not cut down when there is no moon.
- Teeth are not extracted on days when there is no moon.
- It is not permitteded to go to or come back from the high plateaus or to go to the forest when there is no moon.
- Anyone who eats as the sun goes down will have bad luck.
- It is believed that all the saints come together when there is a shooting star.
Beliefs Related to Birth and Forty Days:
- A woman may not go far from her house until 40 days after childbirth.
- She may not go out of her house at night.
- Koran, amulets, knives and black cumin are placed by the head of a baby for 40 days.
- Matches and brooms are placed in the room where a woman who has had a baby within the last 40 days sleeps.
- Such a woman is not left alone in the house at night.
- After the 40th day, the woman visits her three neighbors first before going any distance away from her house.
- Women and their babies are not allowed to see each other for 40 days.
- Visitors to women within 40 days of childbirth give coins or money in order to protect baby.
- Cats and dogs are not allowed inside the room where there is a baby younger than 40 days; otherwise the skin of the baby turns red.
- Menstruating women are not allowed to see a deer in menstruation, as deer give birth once in seven years, it is assumed that the woman, too, will not have a child for seven years.
- If a baby younger than 40 days has to be left alone in the house, a knife, onion and garlic are put near him.
- People carrying gold or money are not allowed to see such a baby. If they do, gold and money are placed near the baby for a while.
- When a woman visits a house within 40 days of giving birth, she pours out water with myrtle leaves before entering the house.
- If a bridal procession passes in front of the house of such a woman, it is believed that that bride will not have a baby.
- Flour from the mill is not brought to the house of such a woman.
- Lambs are not shown to anyone unless aged over 40 days.
- A candle is lit at the head end of the bed of a woman who gave birth less than 40 days ago.
- Two such women exchange needles in order to bring the period to an end.

Popular Beliefs Related to Special Days:
- Sewing, cutting down trees and plants or killing animals are not allowed on Hidirellez day.
- A person who lost a relative on arefe (the day before a religious festival) never sews.
- Working is not allowed on arefe.
- Trees are not cut down on arefe or during festivals.
- Closed flour sacks are opened on arefe.
- Bringing firewood to the house on arefe is considered bad luck, as the belief is that a snake will come to the house with it.
- Soap may not be used on arefe.
- On Hidirellez, yogurt can be made with water brought to the house early in the morning. The use of yeast is not necessary.
- Anyone who takes bath in the river before the sun rises will be healthy.
- A jug of water should be taken inside the house before the sun rises on Hidirellez. This water is supposed to bring good health to the house.
- On aşure (pudding made with cereals, sugar and raisins) month (during fasting) young trees are not allowed to be cut down.
- Lambs are not counted until hidirellez.
Popular Beliefs Related to Stone and Water:
- It is unwise to enter a lake at night. It is believed that genies and pixies bathe in lakes at night and may people’s steal souls.
- Anyone urinating outside at night will be paralyzed by pixies.
- Knives are not put into boiling water.
- Spitting on water brings bad luck.
- Sleeping near fountains attracts the devil.
- Sleeping on a big stone with deep roots is not advised, since it is believed that the devil will come.
- Jumping over water in which clothes are washed is ill advised since it is believed that the devil lives in it.

Popular Beliefs Related to Darkness and Light
- If an onion is eaten in the evening, angels will not visit the place where it happened.
- Looking in the mirror in the evening shortens one’s life.
- Peppery things like pepper, onion or garlic are not given out of the house at night.
- Milk, yogurt and cheese are not given away at night, if necessary, these are covered or coal and green leaves are put on them.
- It ıs a sin to whistle at night.
- Salt is not given out of the house at night.
- The front door is not cleaned at night.
- Bread baskets are not given from one house to another.
- If children play knucklebones it is believed that an enemy will come.
Popular Beliefs Related to Abundance:
- A man who eats the first bread made from the first flour from the mill will lose his wife.
- A house wıll suffer a declıne in prosperity if yeast is given to other houses.
- The house will suffer a decline in prosperity if someone steps on or drops breadcrumbs.
- A piece of bread is taken out of the mouth of anyone going abroad.
- Sewing things while people are still wearing them brings bad luck.
- Cutting bread with a knife damages the prosperity of the house.
- If someone starts eating without calling on God, he will still be hungry after the meal because he has shared his food with the devil.
- When knitting socks, one must start from the top, otherwise they will not last long.
- If someone breaks his scapula, it is believed that he will have good fortune.
Popular Beliefs Related to the House:
- It is considered inappropriate to put black stone on the groundwork of the house.
- Anyone who sits by the front door will be slandered. - It is not good to sleep near the wall, as the person who does so may end up paralyzed.
- The devil visits a dirty house, so that house will be full of discord instead of happiness.
- If a member of the household goes abroad, either the house is not cleaned, or else no visitors are received on that day.
- People do not visit their neighbors with the rope that helps carry goods, since it is believed that this rope may bring bad luck to the house visited.
- People are advised not to sit by their front door, lest they give the impression they are poor.
- One should not enter one’s neighbor’s house carrying a rope because this may disturb the prosperity of the house.
- One should not sit at the threshold of one’s house, as that is where the devil sits.
- It’s a sin to sit at one’s threshold when it is raining.

Popular Beliefs Related to Events in the Atmosphere:
- People throw a knife into the garden to stop it hailing. - When a skull is taken out of the grave and boiled in water, it rains.
- During the devil’s wedding ceremony (rain in April) anyone standing in the rain will be taken away by genies.
- Rain in April is something like holy water, it is lucky. Getting wet in the April rain brings good health.
- Biting iron while there’s thunder brings good luck.
- Female creatures turns into male and male into female if they walk under a rainbow.
- Eating a few haildrops at the first hailstorm of the year is considered good for the health.
- A knife is thrown onto the roof of the house when there is thunder.
- It is believed that putting a trivet in the garden may stop hail.
- A knife is thrust into the ground when lightning flashes in the sky.
Popular Beliefs Related to Seasons, Months and Days:
- No one is allowed enter a house except for the residents on the first day of March. It is imagined that lambs and fawns will die otherwise.
- If the first people seen on the first day of January look well and healthy, the year will be a healthy one, if they do not look well, someone may fall ill during the year.
- On Tuesdays, washing clothes is not allowed. It is believed that anyone who wears clean clothes washed on Tuesday will die soon.
- Babies born on Tuesdays will become killers.
- No wedding ceremonies are held on Tuesdays.
- Both throwing dust and working are forbidden on Fridays.
- The baby conceived on Friday becomes wise.
- Washing clothes is not allowed on Saturdays.
- If a baby is born late in Friday night, it will grow rich. - If a person knits on Fridays, she will lose her good luck.
- If a person cuts his nails on Friday night, he will fall out of favor.
- Anyone who enters a field on 7th August will be paralyzed.
- Quilts are not covered with sheets on Saturdays, as it is believed that quilts which are covered on Saturdays are waiting for dead bodies.
- Fields are not sowed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. - On Fridays, trees are not cut down until Friday prayers
- No sowing is done on Fridays.
- Any job started on Monday goes slowly.

Popular Beliefs Related to the Sexes:
- If a man turns the lights on in a room, that household will enjoy plenty.
- If a woman slows a man down on the road, it is assumed that bad luck will ensue.
- If a woman passes through between two men, it is believed that she will never have a baby.
- If a man passes through between two women, his words will not be listened to.
- If a man passes through between two girls, he will have a very sparse beard.
- If a woman drinks half glass of tea, she will lose her husband.
- If a woman passes in front of a huntsman on the road, the hunt will not be successful.
- If the first hair of a baby girl is cut by her uncle (mother’s brother), her hair will be abundant.
- The first hair of a baby boy must be cut by his uncle. - Girls who marry and go to their new houses leave their parents’ houses on Thursday or Sunday.
- During the ram mating ceremony, if a girl is put on the ram, it is believed that the lambs born of it will be female, if a boy is put on, the lambs will be male.

Popular Beliefs Related to Roads and Travelling:
- Anyone who spits while taking a trip will meet with a catastrophe.
- Turning and looking back on the road is considered unlucky.
- It is unlucky to sleep where three roads meet.
- If someone drops a spoon from his or her hand, it is believed that a visitor may come.
- If someone drops food in his house, it is believed that a hungry visitor will come.
- If a man goes hunting, his wife throws a broom after him.
- A man going hunting is never asked where he is going. If anyone does ask him, he has to give up the hunting trip.
- If one shoe ends up standing on the other, it is believed that the owner of the shoes will take a vacation.
- Sleeping near the roads is not approved. Such people are told “You will fly with the wind” (meaning, you will be paralyzed by the devil).
- In order not to damage the prospects of the hunt, people do not talk with huntsmen while they are getting ready.
- Before going to hunting, a rifle is put on the ground. A boy or a girl who is at least three or four years old jumps over it.

Popular Beliefs Related to Belongings:
- If a shoe turns upside down, it is believed that bad health will result.
- Soap is not passed to somebody else by hand, since it is believed that these two people will end up arguing. The back of the hand is used when passing the soap.
- After eating, the spoon is left with the bowl facing upwards. Any other position results in bad luck.
- If anyone drinks water out of a lid he will have bad fortune.

There are some small ceremonies realized by people during plowing, seeding, harvesting and collecting. But only a few of them can be accepted as festival. However, in places focusing on vineyard and gardening business or in places working on high plateau business, we observe that some festivals are celebrated. We can give cherry festival in the Kemalpasa district of Izmir, nut festival of Giresun or apricot festival of Mut as examples to this kind of festivals. These ceremonies have turned into festivals as a result of efforts aiming to survive old festivals with new purposes and in order to live in harmony with the changing conditions.

Various ceremonies held in southeast Anatolia can be included in this group of festivals. The “pancarci şenlikleri” (festivals of beet workers) in villages in the Savsat district of Artvin, the “seyran senlik” held in the villages of Pasaf, and the “at gocu” (migration of horses) which last three days in the villages of Giresun are the best examples. The common characteristics of these ceremonies is that they are all held a few months after some of the vıllagers have migrated to the high plateaus. They are held at a time when all the work in the villages is finished, and when they have time to join the people on the high plateaus for a few days before coming down back to the villages for harvesting.

In Erzurum, although the ceremony is held again on a day at the end of June or in the beginning of July before harvesting, moving the to high plateaus is not necessary. People go to picnic areas or thermal springs. These are all celebrated as festivals with drums, zurna or other musical instruments, with dances, plays, various games and contests such as race or javelin throwing, with meals eaten communally.

The southern Yuruks (a nomadic shepherd people of Anatolia) also stage ceremonies resembling festivals while leaving their winter places and moving to the high plateaus: these include visits to holy people’s graves, communal feasting, shooting competitions, wrestling and music.

In order to keep the rich Anatolian culture in Turkey alive and thriving, in every province, district and even in some villages there are various traditional festivals and gatherings. At the same time, some national and international festivals are held in order to support this purpose.

Festivals which represent traditional Turkish culture not only aim to increase the spirit of unity in society, but also to present the cultural wealth of the places where these ceremonies are held.

Some festivals aim to present a product and which have a strong economic element (the Apricot Festival in Malatya, Carpet Festival in Eşme, Cherry Festival in Aksu etc), and others aim to present culture alone are more widely held in Anatolia (the International Culture and Art Activities in the memory of Hacı Bektaş Veli, Abdal Musa gatherings, Galley Ceremonies etc).

Another important contribution of these festivals, which eventually become traditions after long years of contribution to social life is that they create an appropriate atmosphere for people to come together and have fun. For example, the “Savşat sahra Pancarı Şenliği” which is held in the Black Sea region during 16-18th July is one of the most prestigious gatherings around, with particular contributions from women.

Games are among the most important events on festival days. People who work all year long in order to enhance production also contribute  to the region’s economic development at these festivals. The main purpose of such festivals is to ensure the highest quality for the product involved, and all contests are arranged with this end in mind.

Although gatherings are also arranged to present culture, not to promote a specific product, these have gradually moved away from their obstensible purpose and have become a part of cultural tourism.

The common feature of festivals and celebrations is they both enhance cooperative efforts in society, and create a unity of ideas or of actions.

The names, dates and locations of various festivals and ceremonies held in Turkey are given below:

Name: Amasya Ataturk Culture and Art Ceremony
Place: Amasya
Date: 12-19th June

Name: Golden Orange Festival
Place: Antalya
Date: 13th October

Name: Aluçdağ Festival
Place: Camlidere
Date: 6th July

Name: Alanya Tourism Ceremony
Place: Alanya
Date: 4-9th June

Name: Golden Nut Ceremonies
Place: Ordu
Date: 19-22nd September

Name: Aksu Culture and Art Ceremonies
Place: Giresun
Date: 20-3rd May

Name: Akşehir Hodja Nasrettin Hoca Ceremonies
Place: Akşehir
Date: 5-10th July

Name: Ahi Evran Art and Folk Festival
Place: Kırşehir
Date: 5-8th September

Name: 1st St. Nicholas Festival
Place: Kaş- Demre
Date: 24th December

Name: Decorated Earthenware Festival
Place: Kütahya
Date: 12-15th July

Name: Çanakkale Wooden Horse Children’s Festival Place: Çanakkale
Date: June

Name: Ertuğrul Gazi Festival
Place: Söğüt
Date: First Week of September

Name: Eğirdir Golden Apple, Silver and Bronze
Place: Isparta - Eğirdir
Date: 2-7th September

Name: Lobster Ceremonies
Place:
Date:

Name: Pine Nut Festival
Place: Gaziantep
Date: 25th December

Name: Foça Music and Folk Dance Festival
Place: İzmir
Date: 20-23rd August

Name: Traditional Mesir Ceremonies
Place: Manisa
Date: 20-23th June

Name: Rug and Rose Festival
Place: Isparta
Date: 1-7th June

Name: Hacı Bektaş Veli Ceremonies
Place: Hacibektaş
Date: 13-18th July

Name: Annexation of Hatay to the Motherland
Place: Hatay
Date: 5-7th July

Name: Galley Ceremonies
Place: Trabzon
Date:

Name: Kavgasor Ceremonies
Place: Artvin
Date:

Name: Apricot Festival
Place: 20-22nd July
Date:

Name: Melon Festival
Place: Diyarbakir
Date: 22-24th September

Name: Kırkpınar Wrestling
Place: Edirne
Date: Second Week of June

Name: Karacaoğlan Festival
Place: Muş
Date: 10-12nd June

Name: Pamukkale Festival
Place: Denizli
Date: 3-5th June

Name: Selçuk Efes Culture and Art Festival
Place: İzmir
Date: 1-8th May

Name: Seyit Battal Gazi Ceremonies
Place: Eskişehir
Date: 12-17th May

Name: Tourism and Art Ceremonies
Place: Marmaris
Date: 9-17th June

Name: International Silifke Music and Folk Dance Festival
Place: Mersin
Date: 15th September – 5th October

Name: International Marmara Music and Folk Dance Festival
Place: İstanbul
Date: 2-7th June

Name: 3rd Hittite Festival
Place: Çorum – Sungurlu, Alacahöyük - Boğazkale
Date: 18-25th September

Name: Van Tourism and Culture Festival
Place: Van
Date: 16-20th July

Names: Yunus Emre Ceremonies
Place: Eskişehir
Date: 6-9th May

Name: Abdal Musa Memorial Ceremonies
Place: Antalya
Date: 9-10th June

The only traditional element in the official ceremonies of these festivals (the 30th August Victory Festival, the Rebublic Festival, the Liberation Festival and so on) which are enthusiastically celebrated in cities and towns is the participation of seymens (heroes and dancers from central Anatolia) and zeybeks (the swashbuckling hero of southwestern Anatolian villages) in the celebrations with their special costumes. After the official ceremonies are over, however, in some places workers and artisans gather in the city or municipality hall and organize special entertainments until the late hours of the night, and these entertainments lend a special significance to the festivals. Drums and zurnas are played in these celebrations. Small towns in Anatolia have their own folk dances, but in big cities like Istanbul or Ankara these ceremonies turn into a festival of folk dancing. In many places on national holidays, wrestling matches or races are held after the official ceremonies.

In recent years, political parties have organized many entertainments with music on national holidays in order to increase the excitement while competing with other parties. Thus, festival traditions are also subject to a process of change.

Some Examples of Animal Husbandry and Shepherding Festivals:

RAM MATING CEREMONIES
In Anatolia, ram mating ceremonies take place between 1st –20th October. One or two months beforehand, rams are removed from the herds. The first day of the ram increase ceremonies is celebrated as a festival almost in everywhere. Village residents gather in the village square with their drums and zurna (a reed instrument somewhat resembling an oboe). Shepherds allow the rams, which are dressed up and decorated with henna, to join the females. In some places, imams read out prayers at the same time.

Ram mating has an exclusive importance, with its own customs, beliefs and magical practices. It is believed that if a boy sit on a ram before it joins the ewes then the first lamb to be born will be male, and if a girl is placed on the ram then the first lamb will be female. If the shepherd encounters a man on his way to the ceremony, it is believed that the lambs that are born will be male, whereas if he encounters a woman from the village, the lambs will be female. It is also believed that if the ram mates with a black ewe, the winter will be warm, whereas if he chooses a white one, the winter will be harsh, although in some places the belief is the exact opposite. After the rams have mated with the ewes, the shepherd has to perform his ritual ablutions. If he enters the herd without doing so, it is believed that all the herd’s lambs will born disabled. If the shepherd rejoins the herd with an empty pot in his hand, it is believed that the sheep will have insufficient milk.

THE SAYA FESTIVAL
The festival known as saya, the face of the sheep or goat, is celebrated 100 days after the ram mating festival. The gestation period in sheep lasts 150 days. It is believed that the foetus comes alive and its hair begins to grow longer inside its mother on the 100th day. That is why the day is known as the face of the sheep. The Saya festival is celebrated with even more excitement than the ram mating festival. Three kinds of activity go on during the night:
1- Shepherds, children and young people wear unusual clothes and visit each others house in turn. They engage in repartee known as the “words of sayaci” and collect cash and food.
2- In some places, people play games in front of the houses. In one of these, an old person and a dark-skinned resident of the village pretend to fight, and the older resident feigns death. He is then restored to life by putting food on his mouth.
3- After visiting houses, a meal is prepared with the collected food, and the sayaci eat
this meal communally. They enjoy themselves until the morning, playing musical instruments and singing songs.

LAMBING CEREMONIES
These are celebrated 50 days after the saya, when sheep begin to give birth, and are the last part of the shepherd festivals which last five months. In Anatolia, the birth of new lambs is celebrated with various traditional ceremonies, although it would not be correct to regard that occasion as a festival.

According to information from Malatya, Kars, Erzincan and their surroundings, shepherds visit flock owners’ houses and collect gifts from them when their sheep give birth. The shepherd is given tips when he takes the first lamb from the mountain to the village. In some places, when lambing time approaches, the shepherd takes the flock to green areas near the village. When the lambs are born, he sends a messenger to the village to inform the owners. These then send small gifts and appetizers called “dolcek” to the shepherd with the messanger. After all the lambs are born and the amount of “dolcek” has gone up, the shepherd comes to the village and shares his appetizers with the children there.
There are some beliefs and prohibitions related to lambing time. On that day, people do not give salt or fire to their neighbours. It is believed that animals will suffer harm if salt, fire, yeast or wool combs are given to neighbours.

The day accepted as the New Year’s Day by the Turks living in Central Asia, Anatolian Turks and Iranians is called Nevruz. It is a combination of the Persian words Nev (New) and Ruz (Day). It corresponds to March 22nd according to the Western calendar and March 9th according to the Moslem one, when the day and the night are of equal length and ıs known by such names as "Nevruz-i Sultani,” "Sultan Nevruz," "Sultan Navriz" and "Mart Dokuzu" (Ninth of March).
Although it is has been claimed that Nevruz was a Persian conception, it also appears in the Twelve Animal Turkish Calendars, and had been known to the Turks and celebrated by them for a very long time.
The principle view of Nevruz is the celebration of independence. In other words that it marks the day of departure from Ergenekon. Hence, Nevruz has been accepted as the beginning of the new year by Turks and has still been celebrating with festivals.
Among the Turkish communites of Central Asia, the Azeris, Kazakhs, Khirghiz, Türkmens, Uzbeks and Uyghur Turks, the Anatolian Turks and the Balkan Turks have kept the Nevruz traditon alive up to the present day.

Kazakhstan
The Kazakhs recite Mevlid prayers during the Nevruz ceremonies. Houses are spring cleaned and people wear their best clothes. During the Nevruz celebrations, people throw clay cups against walls or the furniture to break them and jump over the fire. It is known that jumping over the fire is a symbol of leaving behind the bad luck and sickness of the previous year and making a healthy start in the new one. The Kazakhs prepare a special meal during Nevruz called "Nevruz – köcö." They also prepare another meal called Nevruz soup or soft rice, "lapa," and give these to their neighbours on that day.

Kyrgyzstan
The Kyrgyz call the first day of the new year Nooroz, and prepare and eat a special meal called "Nooruz köcö" on that day. This is a moist syrup composed of corn or pounded wheat. "Auz köcö," which is also known as "kavut," is another special meal prepared for the day. The Kyrgyz years starts with the Nevruz festival held on the equinox, in other words the new year celebrations on March 21st.

Uzbekistan
In the Samarkand, Bukhara and Andican regions, Nevruz celebrations start on the day of Nevruz and continue for a full week. The people call these Nevruz festivals "Seyil Festivities," and seyil sites are filled with rides, musicians, dancers and hawkers. On the first day of the Nevruz celebrations, people move from tent to tent and extend their best wishes to each other. The food served at this festival time is a special kind of rice called "as." Tea and various fruits are also served in addition to the rice. Beside these offerings, games and sports such as "köpkari," wrestling, horse races and cockfights are organized, and plays about the Nevruz celebrations are staged.

Turkmenistan

Turkomans call the first day of the new year as Novruz. Five or six days before Novroz, Turkoman families start cleaning their houses. Food and dishes such as Turkoman pastry, Turkoman petir, külce, fatty börek, sekseke, koko, bovursak and Turkoman rice are prepared. It is believed that preparing many different kinds of food will bring good luck for the following year. Semeni is the special food made during Nevroz. Many families come together and prepare the food in a big cauldron by adding flour and sugar to wheat. Semeni is cooked the day before it is to be eaten, and is readied for the morning of March 21st.

Azarbaijan
In Azarbaijan, Nevruz continues for three days. Splendid celebrations take place each year during 21-23rd March. The second most important day after Nevruz is "ahir çersenbe" (the last Wednesday). It is also called "ilin ahir tek tek." All four Wednesdays of the festival month are also important. This is called "üskü." Men visit the cemeteries on the Tuesday before "ahi çersenbe" and recite the Fatiha sura and then rerturn. Women prepare many dishes, such as halva (a dessert prepared with sugar, flour or semolina) and rice and then go to the cemetery themselves. The Koran is recited, and after prayers they give the food they have prepared to the poor and leave the cemetery after 1-2 hours. This marks the end of the Nevruz celebrations.
In Azarbaijan, the night between Tuesday and Wednesday is called "ahir-çersenbe." The first thing people have to do on "ahir cersenbe" is to clean their houses and all the belongings in it. Besides the custom of burning harmal which is called "pülenberi," a special nocturnal celebration called "yeddi-levin" is organized, during which at least seven kinds of nuts have to be served. Another custom, "gapi pusma," involves young people making a wish and listening at their neighbours door. The first word they hear is regarded as prophetic of the way the coming year will pass.
Another custom on "ahir çersenbe" is the game of "throwing rings in the water." A washbowl filled with water is placed in the center of a room, and girls gather around the bowl and throw their rings in it. One of the girls take out the rings one by one from the covered bowl and recites verses for each ring. The message contained in quatrain applies to the girl whose ring has been taken out.

Waterfront Customs: The next day, before the sun rises, people go down to sources of fresh water and wash their hands and faces and. Girls tie their thumbs together with a cord and jump into the water. They cut the cord and throw it into the water. This is believed to bring them good luck for the following year.

Those coming to the waterside pick seven small stones from the spring and place them at the bottom of the water bowl. These stones remain there until the next "ahir çersenbe." On the way home, three bramble branches are picked and brought to peoples’ houses. These branches also remain where they are hung until the next "ahir çersenbe."

The day before Nevruz is called "baca-baca." Hard boiled eggs painted in different colours are given to children who visit houses one by one. On this day, children walk around in groups and chant folk sayings or songs such as;
Nevruz, Nevruz to spring
Roses roses for love
Let many roses be in our garden
Let there be many roses and nightingales
The children play games in green areas with their eggs or other toys.
On the night of the "baca-baca" (chimney-chimney) day, there is a custom which involves "throwing shawls from the chimneys." According to this custom, in the afternoon braziers are again lit and people jump over the fire. When night comes children drop cloth bags tied to long ropes down the chimneys of their relatives. The occupant of the house ties a gift which he considers to be appropriate for the person who has thrown the bag down onto the shawl.

On the morning of the "yedd-levin" night, a "küflen" (swing) is hung on a tree by a thick rope. Young girls and boys take turns to swing on it. The child on the swing reads out quatrains while the others answer him or her. This game is given names such as "küfdibi“ or „küfyeli".

On the festival day, men and women gather seperately and wish each other the best for the celebrations. The houses of those who have died during the previous year are visited, but mourning on this day is considered a sin. People visit the houses of the poor and give them food such as sugar, rice, eggs etc. Visiting friends or the sick is believed to have a special importance.

Nevruz is celebrated under many different names; Nevruz by the Karapapaks, Nevrez or Gündönümü by the Crimean Turks, Mevris by the Turks of Western Thrace and Sultan-i Navriz by Turks in Macadenonia and Kosovo.

Turkey
Nevruz, which is known by different names in Anatolia, such as "Sultan-i Nevruz", "Nevruz Sultan", "Mart Dokuzu" (ninth of March) and "Mart Bozumu" (harvest time in March) is still a living and vibrant tradition in Turkish society.

Among the Tahtaci (wood worker) Turkomans,who take their name from their work with wood, the Nevruz festival is held on the 9th of March, old style, and is called Sultan Nevruz. It is celebrated on 22-23rd March, when the Tahtaci Turkomans climb up to the high plateaus. Nevruz is regarded by the Tahtaci Turkomans as a day when feasting takes place in memory of the dead. Here, we can see the signs of a part of the old Turkish belief system, the cult of the ancestor.

March 22nd, the day before Nevruz, is the time for welcoming Nevruz in, and is devoted to Nevruz preparations, such as cleaning houses or preparing food. Pastry with spinach, eggs painted with onion skins, thin pastry breads, burma sweets, candies, roasted chick peas and Turkish delight are among the dishes and food served on Nevruz day. Meanwhile, relatives and neighbours start visiting each other.

On March 23rd, people wake up early. They go to the cemeteries wearing new clothes and with the food they have prepared beforehand. At the graveyard, people chat while drinking coffee. Everybody has to visit the graves close by and drink coffee or tea there. Later, people come together to eat. During the meal, people play mnusical instruments and sing folk songs, swings are suspended from the trees and children fly kites which are called "bayrak" (flag).

In the afternoon, women carry out another custom called "hak ulestir" (sharing equally) by putting appetizers onto a large plate. These appetizers are offered to people walking in front of the house, and in return the recipients chant "I hope it helps the souls of the dead." After the meal, members of the family one by one kiss the tombstones and leave the cemetery .

In the evening, neighbours and relatives continue eating, drinking and chatting until morning. During this holiday everybody is cheerful. Other peoples’ transgressions are forgiven. Participation in the celebrations is mandatory, and those who do not take part are ostracised by the village residents.
Among the Yoruks (a nomadic shepherd people in Anatolia), Nevruz means the end of winter and beginning of spring. It is celebrated on March 22nd in villages and high plateaus, although if this does not fall on a Sunday, it is celebrated in the cities on the first Sunday following Nevruz. On the morning of March 22nd, villagers begin to move to plateaus. Those who arrived earlier and settled into buildings called "davar evi" (cattle houses) welcome their relatives and neighbours from the villages. When the group already on the plateau and the arriving vilagers meet, they salute each other by firing a single pistol shot and say, "Happy Nevruz, and may your seed be plentiful and good for you." The arriving guests are settled in tents and served refreshments. The meat of animals which have recently been sacrifices by their owners is eaten collectively. Among the Yoruks of Sunnite, people join in communal prayers, and together they give thanks to God. Entertainment is organized by the young people, who sing folk songs and play games, and this continues until late at night.

According to Alawite and Bektashi belief, Nevruz signifies a number of things:
1- The birthday of the Prophet Ali,
2- The wedding day of the Prophet Ali and Fatma,
3- The end of winter and the arrival of spring, and the start of leaving winter settlements and migrating to the plateaus.

On the morning of Nevruz, after prayers lead by the head of the dervish order, people drink milk. Poems called Nevruziye and the Mevlid (birth story) of the Prophet Ali are read. The day is celebrated with candies, sherbet (non-alcoholic drinks made from sugar and spices or sugar and fruit juice) and other refreshments.

Nevruz is called "Sultan Navriz" in Gaziantep and the surrounding area. According to folk belief, Sultan Navriz is a pretty girl who moves from West to East by making sounds with her ankle bracelet and doing embroidery on the night of March 22nd and 23rd. According to another belief, Sultan Navriz is a holy person who can change into the shape of a bird and fly by making sounds with her ankle bracelet. It is believed that all the wishes of those who are awake as Sultan Nevruz passes overhead will come true.

All the cups in peoples’ houses are filled with water, and people stay awake all night. A basin full of water is also left in the courtyard to reflect the moon, and people worship all night long. According to local belief, if someone’s wish has been granted then the water in the basin will turn into gold. The next morning, everybody goes to recreation and picnic areas, where they play various games and eat raw meat balls, rice, egg and piyaz (a savory food prepared with boiled beans).

In Diyarbakir, people go on picnics and to recreation areas on Nevruz day to celebrate.
Nevruz night is considered sacred by the people of eastern Anatolia. It is believed that all living and non-living things worship God on that night. On that day, the year-long fate and food of each person is determined. Everybody puts nice clothes on and gets prepared for the new year, food is prepared in the houses, visits are made and people help the poor. On the night before March 17th, the head of the household collects as many small stones as there are family members and places them on the outside edge of the chimmney of the house. It is decided which stone shall represent which individual. When the stones are checked on the morning of the festival, the presence of a ladybird under any of them means good fortune for the person concerned. In a related manner, it is believed that the whole family will share the good fortune of that individual.

Another tradition seen in some regions of Anatolia in March is the tradition of "Black Wednesday," the first Wednesday in March. At this time, different ceremonies take place and various dishes are prepared and eaten communally. On the same night, young people make a wish and try to listen their neighbours’ houses from outside the front door. Working the milk churn in complete silence is another widely seen tradition. In Kars and the surrounding area at this time, traditional practices like listening at doors and "baca-baca" (chimney-chimney) take place. Household members give fruits to anyone who throws a shawl down the chimney.

Around Tunceli on that day, men smear soot on their foreheads and go to the water springs. There they clean those marks off, pray and make wishes. Other practices aimed at warding off trouble and difficulty are also to be witnessed.

In the practice called scratching chimneys, or placing stones in line with the "Black Wednesday" tradition, people place small stones around the chimney, each stone representing one member of the family. The bottoms of the stones are checked early in the morning. It is believed that if an insect is found under any of the stones, this will bring good fortune to the whole household.

In another game called "pamuk igne" (cotton needle), two girls from the village perform their ritual ablution and go to a frozen water place with a pot in their hands. They break the ice and immerse the pot in the water, recite the Ihlas sura from the Kuran seven times and remove the pot.
In another practice, young girls or boys eat a salty pastry called "tuzlu gilik" on Wednesday night and discuss whom they will marry.

Nevruz is known as "Mart Dokuzu" (Ninth of March) in Central Anatolia in particularly. Similar to other regions, people get up very early in the morning of March 22nd, cemeteries are visited and wishes made. Any woman who wants to make a wish picks one stone from each grave until a total of 40 have been collected. She makes her wish, puts the stones in a bag and hangs it up at home. The bag will stay hanging on the wall for a year. It is believed that if the wish is granted then the total amount of stones in the bag when it is opened will be 41. On the following Ninth of March, the stones are replaced, whether the wish has come true or not.

After mutual visits there is feasting, games are played, wishes are made and entertainments organized and big fires lit. On the night of 22-23rd March, folk plays are performed, and the games and chatting continue until late in the evening.

Among other Nevruz traditions observed in Anatolia are "Mart ipligi" (March yarn) where pieces of cloth are tied to trees in order to protect them from the sun and "Mart bozumu" (harvest in March) which is especially seen in the Giresun area. In "Mart bozumu", water taken rivers is sprinkled over peoples’ houses. People wait for a visitor who is known as the bringer of good luck to come and say, " I am unfastening your March."
In Tekirdağ, Nevruz is regarded as the end of the cold weather and the beginning of spring, and is celebrated as "Nevruz celebrations."
In Edirne, during the Nevruz celebrations held on March 22nd, people go to picnic areas and old straw mats are burned as people jump over them. Kirklareli celebrates Nevruz as the Ninth of March when people prepare various food and go to picnics.

While Nevruz is celebrated in the Urla district of Izmir under the name of Festival of Ninth of March, at Tire, another district, it is known as the "Sultan Nevruz Holiday."

Nevruz is also celebrated at Uşak, where the term "yil yenilendi" (the year has been renewed) is used. In Sivas, if thunder is heard on the Ninth of March, this is taken as a sign that the harvest will be plentiful.

In Sebinkarahisar, it is beieved that if someone bathes in a flowing river on the morning of March 22nd that will give him strength and good health.
It is known that the old calendar used to begin in March. The first 12 days of March represented the months of the year, and the events to come during the year were believed to be foretold by the events that took place during those days. It is a tradition for seven specially selected couples only to eat things beginning with the letter S.

The Ottoman sultans attached great importance to Nevruz, when they were greeted by being presenting short texts called Nevruziye. On this day, the chief astrologer of the sultan would present him the new calendar, and the financial reward he received on that occasion was known as "Nevruziye Bahşisi." Sweets called Nevruziye were prepared by the chief physician of the palace with various spices and were offered to the sultan’s family and relatives. Specially made for that day, these would be be offered in covered porcelain bowls. A piece of paper indicating the time when these should be eaten on Nevruz day, as determined by the chief astrologer, would be attached to these bowls.

While Nevruziye were originally given only to the poor and the sick, there later came to be a huge demand for them, and to ensure that there was no injustice the practice began to be abandoned. Mesir and Nevruz sweets come from the same roots and both have medicinal properties.
Despite some differences in practice, Nevruz has become a traditional festival and is observed among the Turkish communities of Central Asia, in Iran, Anatolia and the Balkans on the same dates and for very much the same social and specific reasons.

Nevruz, which is still celebrated in Iran as well, has a legendary character. In these legends, Cemsid, who is believed to be the discoverer of fire, has a particular importance. In Iran it is believed that God created Adam on the day of Nevruz and that the stars were then divided into the signs of zodiac on that day. Nevruz continues for 13 days in Iran.
1- Azarbaijan
21st March Nevruz Festival (Official Holiday)
2- Kazakhstan
21st March Nevruz Festival (Official Holiday)
3- Kyrgyzstan
21st March Nevruz Festival (Official Holiday)
4- Uzbekistan
21st March Nevruz Festival (Official Holiday)
5- Turkmenistan
21st March Nevruz Festival (Official Holiday)
6- Turkey
21st March Nevruz Festival
7- Norther Cyprus Turkish Republic
21st March Nevruz Festival

The following is the text of a telegram dated 24th March 1921 from Neriman Nerimanof, president of Azarbaijan, to General Mustafa Kemal on the occasion of Nevruz;

"The Commissiary of Southern Caucasia, the cadets of the Free War School of Azarbaijan, the two squadrons of cavalary and artillery, the sharpshooting Turkish soldiers celebrate the Nevruz holiday of the Turkish nation and hope that the Reformist Azarbaijan Army, together with the heroic Turkish Army, will soon save the eastern countries which are under pressure from Western imperialism. Long live the Eastern Reform Leader Mustafa Kemal"

The word Nevruz is of Persian origin and is a combination of the words “nev” (new) and “ruz” (day), meaning new day. According to the old Persian calendar, it is the first day of the year and regarded as the start of spring, when the sun enters the house of Aries.
The sun gives more light and heat to the southern hemisphere until March 21, after which this applies to the northern hemisphere instead. That is why March 21 is a day to celebrate for people living in the northern hemisphere as the symbol of awakening and creation.

According to Persian mythology, God created the world, man and the sun on this day. Kiyumers, the legendary Persian ruler, declared this day to be a festival when he ascends the throne. Jemshid, the symbol of magnificence in Persia, also ascended the throne on this day. In addition, Jem, the seventh grandson of the Prophet Adam, came to Azerbaijan on March 21 and declared it to be a day of celebration.
Nevruz, which goes by various names such as Nevruz-i Sultan, Sultan Nevruz, Navrız and Mart dokuzu in Anatolia, is celebrated differently in different regions. It is also a ceremony for abundance in regions where people generally work in agriculture. It also has a faith-related significance in Alawite-Bektashi communities.

In Alawite-Bektashi communities, Nevruz is the birthday of Ali, and also the day of Ali and Fatma got married. In addition, it is the day the Prophet Mohammad designated Ali as his caliph after his return from the Farewell Hadj. On the morning of this day, people drink milk after the guide has read prayers. They read poems called Nevruziye, nefes (a poem read by dervishes) and Mevlit (a religious poem and prayer chanted either in memory of a dead person or to mark a special religious occasion) in memory of Ali. They visit graves with pastries that have been prepared earlier and eat these there.

Ottoman sultans paid special attention to Nevruz Day. Poems in the form of the “gazel” and “kasida”, called “Nevruziye”, were presented to them on that day. In these kasidas, the main theme was trees, which put forth leaves, opening flowers, the warming of the weather and similar. It was then related for Adam was created on Nevruz Day, Noah’s Ark reached land and Ali was born and became a caliph. It was said that all creatures prostrated themselves to God on Nevruz night, and that wishes came true. Again on Nevruz Day, the chief astrologer used to present the new calendar to the sultan and receive alms. This tip was called “nevruziye baksheesh”. Pastes called nevruziye, prepared with various spices by the chief physicians of the palace, were offered to the family of the sultan and other dignitaries. The pastes prepared for this day were presented in bowls with porcelain lids, and a note stating at which the hours of the day they should be consumed was also attached.

The origin of the Nevruziye paste has been traced back to the Persians by some researchers. In the time of Persians, physicians and pharmacists would gather together to prepare this special mixture. It was believed that those who ate it would be protected against all illnesses throughout the whole year. In time, this custom changed and Nevruziye became the name of a special sweet eaten on Nevruz days. Recently, as an extension of this custom, “mesir” pastes are distributed to people in Manisa on March 21.

Not only Nevruz Day, but also Nevruz Night has a heavenly significance for the people of Eastern Anatolia. It is believed that all creatures and things prostrate themselves before God on this night. That day, every individual’s fortune and future for the next year is set out. People prepare for the new year by wearing new and beautiful clothes. Meals are cooked in the home, and mutual visits take place.
Another custom seen in some regions of Anatolia in March is “Black Wednesday.” Various ceremonies are performed at this time, and meals prepared and eaten communally on this day, the first Wednesday in March. The young make wishes and listen at their neighbors’ doors.
Another of the traditions related to Nevruz is “March thread”. Pieces of cloth are tied to trees to protect them from the sun as the weather begins to warm up from March 21.

The custom called “Mart bozumu” (breaking March) in Giresun is another of the significant traditions related to Nevruz. At this time, water from a stream is fetched and sprinkled through the local houses. A guest who brings good luck is expected to visit and say “I am breaking your March”.
In the Central Anatolian region, Nevruz is called “Mart dokuzu” (nine of March). On March 21, people get up early, pay visits to graves and make wishes. The person who intends to make a wish collects forty stones from the graves and puts them into a sack. He then hangs the sack on the wall of his home, and meanwhile, makes a wish. One year later, he looks inside the sack. If the number of stones has risen to 41, he believes that his wish will come true. On the next nine of March, the stones are put back where they were taken from.
On Nevruz Day, people lay their tables with an assortment of foodstuffs, play games, hold festivities, eat painted eggs and prepare large fires.
Nevruz, which every society celebrates in forms peculiar to itself, still exists with traditional celebrations in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tatarstan, the Uygur region, Anatolia and the Balkans.

Hıdrellez, is one of the seasonal festivals of all Turkish world. Hıdrellez Day, which is known as Ruz-ı Hızır (day of Hızır), is celebrated as the day on which Prophets Hızır and Ilyas met with each other on the earth. The words Hızır and İlyas have since fused together pronounced as Hıdrellez. Hıdrellez Day falls on May 6 in the Gregorian calendar and April 23 in the Julian calendar, also known as the “Rumi” calendar.

In the folk calendar used by the people, the year used to be divided into two: The period between May 6 and November 8 was summer, called the “Days of Hızır”, and the period between November 8 and May 6 was winter, called the “Days of Kasım”. May 6 thus represents the end of winter and the start of the warm days of summer, a cause for celebration.

There are various theories about the origin of Hızır and Hıdrellez. Some of these suggest that Hıdrellez belongs to Mesopotamian and Anatolian cultures, and others that they belong to pre-Islamic Central Asian Turkish culture and beliefs. However, it is impossible to ascribe the Hıdrellez festival and beliefs surrounding Hızır to a single culture. Various ceremonies and rituals have been performed for various gods with the arrival of spring or summer in Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Iran, Greece and in fact all eastern Mediterranean countries since ancient times.

One widespread belief suggests that Hızır is a prophet who has attained immortality by drinking the water of life (ab-ı hayat), and who has reached God, and wanders around among people from time to time, especially in the spring, and helps people in difficulty and distributes plenty and health. The identity of Hızır, the place and the time he lives are not certain. Hızır is the symbol of spring, and the new life which emerges with it. In Turkey, where belief in Hızır is widespread, the characteristics attributed to him are as follows:

1. Hızır rushes to the aid of people, whose in difficulty and grants peoples’ wishes.
2. He always helps well-meaning, benevolent people.
3. He brings plenty and wealth wherever he stops.
4. He brings remedies to those who are troubled and health to the sick.
5. He helps plants to grow, animals to reproduce, and human beings to grow strong
6. He helps improve peoples’ fortune.
7. He is the symbol of good omens and good fortune.
8. He has the God-given power of working miracles.

With these characteristics attributed to him, Hızır brings to mind the gods, who are ascribed superior powers in mythology.
Hıdrellez Festival is celebrated on May 6 in Turkey. This date is regarded as the first day of spring, when nature stirs again, by Christians as well. The Orthodox celebrate this date as Hagia Georgi, and Catholics as St. George’s Day.

Hdırellez, one of Turkey’s seasonal festivals, is actively celebrated in the country. People prepare beforehand for Hıdrellez celebrations in villages and small towns, although rather less now in the big cities. These preparations concern house-cleaning, clean clothing, and food and drink. Before Hıdrellez Day, houses are cleaned from top to bottom, since people think that Hızır will not visit houses that are not clean. New cloths and shoes are purchased to wear on Hıdrellez Day.

Giving alms, fasting and offering animals as a sacrifice are traditions in some parts of Anatolia to make prayers and wishes come true. Sacrifices and votive offerings should be for “the sake of Hızır”.

Hıdrellez celebrations are always performed in green, wooded places, near sources of water, or near a tomb or shrine. Eating fresh spring plants, lamb’s meat or lamb’s liver is another custom in Hıdrellez. It is believed that eating the first lamb of spring will bring health and cure the sick. It is also believed that picking flowers or plants in the countryside, boiling them and drinking the water will cure all illnesses, and that the water thus obtained rejuvenates and beautifies anyone who washes with it for forty days.

Various practices are performed on Hıdrellez night in the belief that Hızır will bring blessing and abundance to the places he visits and the things he touches. Food bowls, pantries and purses are left open. Those who want a house, vineyard or garden believe that Hızır will help them obtain such things if they make a small model of what they want.

Ceremonies to improve peoples’ luck are also widespread at this time. This ceremony is called “baht açma” in Istanbul and its surroundings, “bahtiyar” in Denizli and surroundings, “mantıfar” by the Yörüks and Turkmens, “dağlara yüzük atma” in Balıkesir and the neighboring area, “niyet çıkarma” in Edirne and its vicinity and “mani çekme” in Erzurum and the surrounding area. People test their luck in these ceremonies, in the belief that peoples’ fortunes will also take a turn for the better with the awakening of nature and all living creatures in the spring. The night before Hıdrellez, young girls who want to test their fortune and improve their luck gather in a green place or near water. They place some of their belongings, such as a ring, earring or bracelet in an earthenware jar and close the jar with fine muslin. They then they put the jar at the bottom of a rose tree. Early in the morning, they approach the jar and drink coffee with milk and pray for their peace and tranquility not to be spoiled. They then open the fortune jar. As they remove the objects from the jar, they recite verses or quatrains, and comments are made regarding the owner of the object that is taken out. This practice, peculiar to Hıdrellez, may differ slightly in procedure in different regions of the country. Recently, this ceremony has tended to be performed only to bring a change in fortune for spinsters.

Finally, Hıdrellez Festival, that is still celebrated with grand ceremonies in Anatolia, has been celebrated since ancient times. Although it is celebrated under different names and in different times, it is possible to see the motifs of Hıdrellez in many places. The arrival of spring and awakening of nature have been perceived man as a phenomenon to be celebrated. Thus, Hıdrellez, a spring festival, has gained a universal character.

The times of seasonal festival celebrations may differ in accordance with the prevailiong conditions in nature, the climate and the environment. For example, the rise in the numbers of rams is celebrated at the beginning of autumn in regions where winter is short and spring comes early, and celebrated in the end of autumn in regions where spring comes late. On the other hand, festivals such as hidirellez and Nevruz are celebrated at the same time in all regions. Some festival dates are connected to domestic production conditions, and the dates of some others are decided by calendar tradition. These seasonal festivals are:

Spring Festivals
- Spring festivals; Nevruz, crocus, betnem (red egg), hidirellez.
- Summer, solstice
- Half of Winter, New Year

Special Seasonal Festivals
- Chain of Shepherd Festivals; multiplication of the ram or sheep, seedling
- Festivals of corp grower, fruit grower and grape grower
- Migration festivals

The main reason why religious festivals are not celebrated on the same days every year is because they are calculated according to the lunar calendar called “kameri takvim”. Ramadan and the Feast of the Sacrifice are celebrated ten days earlier each year than the year before, so religious festivals may come to be celebrated in every season. According to the Kameri calendar, Ramadan is celebrated on the first three days of the month Sevval, and the Feast of the Sacrifice is celebrated in four days following the tenth day of the month Zilhicce. These festivals continue to exist in popular tradition, although their effects are not what they once were.

The main characteristics of Ramadan and the Feast of the Sacrifice are that people, neighbours, relatives and friends pay visits and go to see each other. Young people kiss their parents’ hands and receive best wishes and blessings from them. It is a tradition to give money or little gifts to those childreen who kiss one’s hands. Candies are served to visitors during Ramadan. That is why Ramadan is also called the “Sugar Festival”. During the Feast of the Sacrifice, not only candies but also the meat of sacrificial animal are served to guests. According to Biruni of Harezm who lived in 10th century, the reason why people serve candies during these festivals is that Cem had discovered the sweet juice inside sugar cane on a Nevruz day. In the beginning, sweet foods were only served on Nevruz, but this gradually became a general tradition which spread to all other festivals and festival days.
The Feast of the Sacrifice is celebrated with less excitement than Ramadan in Turkey. This festival takes place in Islam as a memory of the story in which a ram fell from the sky just at the moment when the Prophet Abraham was about to sacrifice his son to God.

The period between the month Sevval, in which Ramadan is celebrated, and the month Zilhicce, in which the Feast of the Sacrifice takes place lasts exactly one month and is called Aralik (meaning interval). Marrying between these two festivals is considered to be unlucky. On the first day of the Feast of the Sacrifice, hadjis sacrifice rams in Mina in Mecca. If a Muslum has the money, sacrificing is a religious obligation. Rams, camels or cattle may be sacrificed. The sacrificial animal must be healthy and if it is female, it must not be pregnant.

A number of traditions surround animal sacrificing. Some of these come from Islamic rules, while others vary from region to region and nation to nation. For example, in some regions of Turkey rams are washed, painted with henna and are dressed up with bridal ribbons. This tradition of painting rams with henna is also a very old tradition among the Jewish comunity. Dressing the animal up with different ribbons is a tradition commonly seen in some parts of Central Asia. One-third of the meat from the sacrificed animals is left in the house. The other parts are given to relatives, neighbors and the poor.

Both during Ramadan and the Feast of the Sacrifice people come together, celebrate and entertain each other. In cities and villages, children and young people in particular meet each other at festival places and have fun. Festival areas resemble fairs in these days.

The Ramadan festival comes after one month of fasting. There are also many traditions regarding the fasting month, which is known as Ramadan Month. In former times in particular, and in summer when nights are shorter, people who fasted did not sleep after dinner but waited until sahur (a meal taken just before dawn during Ramadan). In this period, people orgainised many different forms of entertainments. Karagöz and ortaoyun were examples of Ramadan shows. In rural areas, people gathered in houses and in coffee houses where wandering minstrels used to play instruments and sing. Added to these wandering minstrel songs, folk stories that could last up to a few days were recounted.

Folk economy is one of the main components of popular culture, and also plays a major role in cultural structure.
In rural parts of Anatolia, economic life mostly depends on agriculture and livestock raising.
The term of folk economy refers to the all various ways in which people try to make a living. Altough popularly regarded as a single factor, in fact, it covers the whole of social life, including even folk architecture or beliefs, and directly shapes social structure.
Beekeeping, activities in mountain pastures, migration, hunting and handicrafts are supplementary parts of the folk economy.
The folk economy also influences popular beliefs, as in the examples below:
- Seed sowing must be carried out in April. Approximately one month before
sowing, the different seeds are taken from the house and placed in the garden. (In order for the crop to be plentiful)
- People do not give seeds to their neighbours before they sow their own gardens. (It is believed that this will protect the prosperity of the household)
- The seeds of sweet-tasting foods are put in the garden first, and hot and bitter-tasting food seeds are put in after. (in order to make the year sweet and peaceful)
- Woman do not sow seeds or plant young trees if they are menstruating. (In order for the crop to be plentiful)
- Ribbons of different colors are tied to cows’ tails. (In order to masintain the cow’s milk output)
- Old people go outside their houses when it is hailing, shake to the noise of the thunder and shout: “Let my churn be speedy”
- During, and three days before religious festivals, people do not cut branches off trees, since they believe that the branches are performing their ritual prayers.
- People let their oxen enter the house on New Year’s Eve. If the ox enters the house with its right hoof first, it is believed that whole year will be plentiful.
- On New Year’s Eve, women throw beans at the walls. (In order to live in prosperity)
- People come together and pray for rain. If there is too much rain, however, then they pray together for it to stop.
- Anyone who draws water from a fountain on New Year’s morning is believed to become rich.
-A few days before the New Year, mills are prepared and all flour pots are filled. It is believed that if the pots are full on New Year’s Day they will remain full for the rest of the year.

We may define the Folk Calendar as a systematic arrangement of time and life, assuming the task of remembering religious, historical, traditional, educational, religious, legal, agricultural, political and economic ties established by relationships based on long-term experiences between natural events, social institutions and events inherited by the people of a particular region; in essence as a cultural inheritance. Apart from the popularly used calendars, folk calendars, also known as local calendars, give different names to the parts and divisions of the year, and sometimes ascribe positive or negative features to them and to various natural events.
According to widespread belief, not complying with the folk calendar and ignoring its stipulations leads to significant losses, since the folk calendars are products of the natural and cultural environment in which they form. In local calendars, while some divisions of times are explained by natural events which happen on a regular, cyclical basis, these divisions may also be accounted for by social events within a community, such as religious ceremonies, relationships with other communities that affect that society, a novelty introduced to the society, a change in forms of production, the death of an esteemed person etc.
We can define the majority of principal factors that go to make up folk calendars as type of production, and related elements and institutions of the social structure; the economic occupations concerned, practices accumulated around emphasized elements of production in the society, related occurrences and the belief system. In principle, it is observed that the economic structure of the society and the occupations in it, which determine its economy, appear most influential in the formation of folk calendars.
In Turkey, where the great majority of the population is Muslim, people use two different calendars today:
1. The “kameri calendar” that divides the year into 12 parts in the light of the changing phases of the moon every 29/30 days. This calendar regards the year as consisting of 354/355 days.
2. The “semsi calendar”, the solar calendar which is generally used all over the world and which is based on the movement of the earth around the sun that lasts 365/366 days.
People use both these two calendars when referring to special traditional days. They use the lunar calendar for religious festivals, and the solar calendar, which indicates the seasons, for other rites and activities.
We can observe differences due to various causes in the naming and division of the months. In some regions, February is called “Gücük (küçük)” (small) because it is shorter than the other months. Planting, livestock raising and fruit growing also lend their names to various months in popular calendars, such as Koç Ayi (the month of the ram), Orakayi (the month of the scythe) or Kiraz ayi (the month of the cherry).
The year is divided into two parts, Kasim and Hidrellez, in most folk calendars. Kasim begins with the month of November as per official calendar and lasts until May 6. This period is the winter. Hidrellez begins on May 6 and ends in November, representing the summer. The winter period is divided into three main parts, each of which has 45 days: Kasım, Zemheri, and Hamsin. The first 135 days of the winter period, that is regarded as consisting of 180 days, are called “numbered” or “counted”. This is the period when the winter is harshest. There is another 45-day period, which completes the winter, starts on March 21 and ends on May 6. This period is called “dokuzun dokuzu” (nine of nine), “april beşi” (fifth of april), “leylek kışı”, (winter of the stork), or “oğlak kışı” (winter of the baby-goat), etc. This calendar is of vital importance for those sections of society dealing with agriculture and livestock raising. They need to know the “counted” days to protect their animals and plants from severe cold.
Low levels of technology leads some societies to use experiences and observations going back to hundreds of years in order to predict atmospheric events, and a high success rate can attract considerable attention. In traditional communities, in which the most important element affecting life is nature, information regarding weather forecasting assume an important place within the cultural whole. Determining weather conditions before setting out to fish or on migration becomes a precondition for the proper fulfillment of the activity.
In societies dealing with agriculture, information related to the phases of the moon is of great importance. For example, if the moon is in crescent form and its open end is pointing up, this is interpreted to mean that it will soon rain. The time for sowing seeds in the field is also determined by looking at the phases of moon. The first phase of the new moon is called “ayın aydını” (moon bright), and the form it takes after a while is called “ayın garangısı” (half moon). People avoid sowing in the first days of the new moon and wait for a while.
Observing the activities of human beings, animals and plants is effective in weather forecasting, which is of vital importance for people in rural areas. For instance, if poplar trees start to shed their leaves from the top, this means it will be a harsh winter. In the same way, if pine trees a great many cones, it means the winter will be long and difficult. Animal behavior also gives clues about the weather. Rain is to be expected if sheep lie down facing the qibla (the point toward which Muslims turn to pray, esp. the Ka‘ba, or House of God, in Mecca).
Since lack of rain in the rainy season caries with it serious consequences, people tend to think that they should do something about it. Ceremonies held to encourage rain are among the elements of Turkey’s rich folk culture heritage. These come under two main aspects:
a. “Rain prayers” which adults attend,
b. Game-like ceremonies in which children also participate.
The rain prayers in which grown-up people attend are usually performed in open air where there is a grave or shrine and it is led by an imam. The imam prays and the people attending the ceremony joins the prayers; and then an animal is offered as a sacrifice; and then a meal is given to the attendees. A specific number of stones are collected and people pray over these stones. Then, the stones are thrown into water. If it rains sufficiently, these stones are taken out of water.
In the rain prayers which children attend, the youngsters usually gather together and visit all the houses in the vicinity, collecting cooking oil, flour, sugar, etc. Food is then prepared with what they have collected. Meanwhile, they also play and arrange festivities among themselves.

Folk or traditional medicine originated from primitive man’s reactions or attitudes to natural events. Magic and witchcraft played an important role here. In these societies, where witchcraft and religious beliefs were of great importance, disease and health were explained by external factors penetrating and harming the body. People’s efforts to find solutions to these diseases set up the basis of folk medicine. Consequently, in traditional societies opinions on disease and health were born as a part of folk culture. For this reason, practices related to this issue are the realm of anthropology, ethnology and sociology, while technical analysis falls under the disciplines of medicine and pharmacology.
Folk medicine is different rather then to modern medicine. Traditional medicine lives among the people as a part of their culture. In traditional societies, any information about a disease is shared by others. This information is passed through the generations. People learn popular medicine in the same way and they learn other cultural components.
Popular medicine perfectly harmonizes with cultural components. In most cases, the patient either recovers or dies. If he gets well, it is believed that the method of treatment used was a valid one, and this method becomes permanent. However, the death of the patient does not mean that the method of treatment method was unsuitable, only that the patient was beyond its scope.
The main difference between modern medicine and traditional medicine is the causes of disease. While modern medicine tries to explain the causes of disease by germ theory, traditional medicine, which also accepts the existence of germs, explains disease by magical and supernatural events.
The traditional medicine still present today is the sum of diagnosis and treatment which people have recourse to in underdeveloped or developing countries where modern medical facilities do not exist or because of their religious beliefs. The main reason for traditional medicine’s acceptability can be explained by the fact that beliefs change very slowly. In Turkey, especially in conservative communities, we still can see examples of traditional medicine, although fewer than formerly. People who have methods of treatment of their own are known as ”old women” in Turkey, and are in fact traditional physicians. Their medicines (known as old woman’s medicine) sometimes have a positive efffect on disease and sometimes don’t. These experienced people learn treatment methods from their parents, and try to cure diseases by using their own drugs based on animal, vegetable and mineral products. Most of them apply treatment in their own homes, while others treat patients in laces which can be considered ”folk hospitals.” Folk physicians use plants for their drugs. These medicinal plants and herbs are commonly used in Turkey. Some of these are very popular among people and are often used in homes, while others can only be recognized and used by folk physicians. There has been considerable research into these medicianal plants and drugs, and large numbers of publications about them issued by faculties of pharmacology.
Forms and lengths of treatment in folk and modern medicine are sometimes quite similar. For example asprin used as a painkiller appeared as a development of quinine and cocaine, which had been used by folk medicine for a long time. In the same way, research has proved that some herbs used in folk medicine were really effective in curing disease.
In general, we can say that modern and folk medicine interact with each other. While focusing on the causes of disease, modern medicine benefits from folk medicine in order to improve the range of treatments available. Also, folk medicine uses every opportunity to benefit from developments in modern medicine. Within this framework, in some cases folk medicine has given way to pharmacological drugs. However, some people do not trust modern medicine in cases like the evil eye or when someone is under the influence of an evil spirit. Both folk and modern medicine are used in some diseases, like asthma or to deal with heart problems. Cancer and other diseases which requires a surgeon are totally left to modern medicine.
As a result, in conservative regions, the attitudes of residents towards disease are shaped by cultural factors. Research shows that not only educational levels but also peoples’ economic situation influences this attitude. Contacts with big cities, and the availability of transport also enhance the tendency towards modern medicine. This tendency is most commonly seen in the young. Whether educated or not, rich or poor, some people still use folk medicine for specific diseases, and visits to shrines and folk methods of dealing with fractures or dislocations can still be observed.
In spite of this, researchers point out that there is a general movement in the direction of modern medicine, and this tendency may be slow or fast depending on the region’s socio-cultural and economic profile.

FOLK TREATMENTS

Bee Stings
a) Ice is put on the sting. If ice is not available, the wound is washed with cold water or mud is smeared on it.
b) A bunch of parsley is wrapped around the affected area.
c) The victim rubs garlic on the sting.
High Temperatures

a) A towel is moistened with vinegar and pressed onto the brow, neck, hands, feet and the whole body. This operation is repeated untill the patient’s temperature gone down.
b) An aspirin is dissolved in lemon juice and rubbed on the patient’s body, beginning with the forehead.
c) A mixture of grain alcohol, aspirin and few drops of olive oil is rubbed on the articular parts of the body.
Asthma

A pigeon egg is consumed every morning for 40 days as the first meal of the day.
Aches
a) The leaf of a black cabbage is heated and placed on the affected area. This operation is repeated frequently.
b) A mixture of boiled and mashed linen seeds, henna and naphtha oil is rubbed on aching parts of the body. This operation continues a few times a day.
c) A cream is made from dry tobacco and raki. The affected areas covered with this cream.
d) Thin sand is roasted, a few olives are added and the affected areas are covered with this mixture while it is still warm or hot. This operation goes on for three or four days.

Sore Feet

Unrefined salt is dissolved in hot water, and the feet are washed in this solution for ten minutes.
Sprains

An onion is mashed with either salt or olives and placed on the sprained area.
Headaches

a) A potato is cut into slices and coffee sprinkled on them. These slices are placed on the forehead.
b) Round lemon slices are placed on the forehead.
c) The patient covers his head with the gall of an animal, mixed with henna, for a few hours.
Bronchitis

a) Linen seeds are mashed with sugar and eaten.
b) A piece of bread is roasted, moistened with vinegar and placed on the chest.
Tonsilitis

The throat is covered with a piece of cotton with pepper and grain alcohol.
Kidney Stones
a) Medlar leaves are boiled and drunk as tea. This continues until the stone is ejected.
b) Water with parsley or yogurt is drunk every morning.
Nosebleeds
The shell of an egg is burned till it becomes ash. The victims breaths in this ash when his or her nose starts to bleed.
Haemorrhoids
a) Garlic is rubbed on every morning.
b) The middle parts of wild roses are boiled and drunk as tea.

Dolman

Okra is cooked in milk and placed on the finger.
Flu

Mint and dried linden flowers are boiled with lemon and drunk as tea.
Sty

Garlic is rubbed on the sty.
Diarrhea

a) Diarrhea will end if a glass of soda pop with an asprin inside is drunk.
b) A spoonful of coffee is mixed with lemon juice and eaten.
c) A small cup of yogurt is mixed with a similar cup of baking soda and eaten.
Cancer

In summer fresh and in winter dry stinging nettles are boiled and drunk as tea every morning before breakfast.
Parotitis

The patient eats red halvah (a sweet prepared with sesame oil, various cereals and syrup) and fat is rubbed on the ears.
Swollen stomach

A mixture of vinegar and bran is heated, and the stomach covered with the mixture.
Calcification

The patient uses fish oil for calcified areas.
Earache

A little leek water is poured into the ear.
Dog Bites

The bite is covered with a bread poultice.
Stomachache

a) The patient drinks milk with honey.
b) Inula is boiled and drunk as tea.
c) The patient eats sesame oil as the first meal of the day.
d) Verruca flower leaves are chewed and swallowed.
Eczema

a) Eggplant is cooked in hot ashes and mixed with powdered henna. The ointment is placed on the affected area and covered with a clean towel.
b) Peach leaves are boiled and drunk as tea for ten days.
c) The patient eats hedgehog meat.
d) The patient swallows the seeds of the elderberry plant.

Shortness of Breath

a) Stingling nettle tea is drunk every day.
b) Black radish is hollowed out and filled with honey. A small hole is opened in the radish and a cup put under it. The patient eats the honey that flows out after waiting for a night.
c) Cones are boiled and drunk as tea.
Coughs

a) The patient drinks a spoonful of honey mixed with a spoonful of lemon juice every morning for a few days.
b) Apple and lemon peel and linden flowers are together boiled and drunk every morning.
c) The patient eats raw parsley.
Heat Rash

Dry cat tail is heated and the ashes rubbed onto the affected parts of the body.
Rheumatism

a) The patient eats a mixture of mashed chestnuts and sugar.
b) A pot of barley is boiled in a large cauldron of water. Once the temparature of the water has gone down to an appropriate level, the patient climbs inside the cauldron and waits for an hour. This application is repeated for a few days.
c) A bunch of the herb sultan is put in a cauldron full of water and boiled. The patient climbs inside the cauldron and remains in it for an hour. He repeats this procedure for a few days.
d) The patient is buried up to his neck in animal faeces and stays there for an hour.
e) The patient drinks one cup of grated celery root.
Hair
For healthy hair and to avoid baldness, vine stems are chopped in the spring time. The liquid that drips from these stems is collected in a bottle and the hair washed with it.
Jaundice
The patient’s forehead or chest is scratched with a razor blade.
Backache
a) A strong massage is applied using a cup.
b) Honey and pepper are rubbed on the affected areas. This is covered with a perforated newspaper and a towel, and the patient spends the night like this. The operation is frequently repeated.
Malaria

A small herb with pink flowers known as “malaria weed” is boiled and drunk as tea.
Cuts and Boils
a) The wound or boil is covered with poaceae, if this is not not available, cabbage leaves or tomatoes may also be used.
b) Soap and a small pinch of salammoniac (ammonia) are together cooked with an onion and applied to the boil when the ointment is warm.
Bites by Poisonous Animals
The head of a match is scraped and this is rubbed on the affected part.

Khorasan holy men, including Haji Bektashi Veli, united the Christian residents of Anatolia and Turkoman migrants with their educational and developmental activities and played an important role in the formation of cultural unity and central authority in Anatolia. Some holy men migrated in to Anatolia, settled on mountains and empty crossroads and opened dervish lodges there. These institutions settled on empty land gradually became centers for culture, development and religious thought. In this manner, religious congregations spread everywhere, rules of morals, good breeding, attitudes and beliefs reached a high standard, knowledge and science were both produced and spread in these centers. The administration encouraged such holy men to settle in villages, and their educational activities gave them some privileges. As a result, even in the most desolate places in Anatolia, dervish lodges emerged, and with the effect of the education they provided, a common cultural structure began to form.
Haji Bektashi Veli was one of those figures who came to Anatolia from Khorasan with this purpose in mind. He was born in Nishabur, Khorasan in 1248, spent his childhood in Khorasan, and was trained in philosophy and social and positive sciences at Hodja Ahmed Yesevi’s school. After traveling to Iran, Iraq and Arabia, Haji Bektash settled in Sulucukarahoyuk in 1275/80.
At that time, Anatolia was under Mongol occupation, there was a severe social and economic crisis and fighting for political power. In that difficult climate, Haji Bektashi Veli settled in Sulucakarahoyuk, developed his philosophy and began to teach his students. His tolerance and human love based philosophy reached many people, and were taken up by them in the important center of Christianity of Cappadocia.
• Any road that doesn’t follow science, ends in darkness,
• Give education to women,
• Control on your tongue, hands and waist,
• The greatest book to read is man himself,
• Honesty is the door of a friend,
• Being a teacher is to give, not to take,
• The universe is for man, and man for the universe,
• Science illuminates the paths of truth,
• We travel in the way of science, comprehension and human love,
• Clean where you’ve settled and deserve the money you’ve made,
• Let’s be one, be big and energetic,
• Don’t hurt anyone, even though you’ve been hurt,
• Don’t ask anyone for anything that would be difficult for you to do,
• Don’t blame any nation or individual,
• Blessed are those who illuminate the darkness of thought,
• Keep on searching, and you’ll find,
• The beauty of the face consists of the words you speak,
• Don’t forget that even your enemy is human,
• The biggest God-given miracle is work,
• In the language of friendly conversation, you can’t discriminate between man and woman,
• Everything God has created is in order,
• To us, there’s no difference between man and woman,
• If you think there is, you’re mistaken.
His thoughts are based on human love and human existence. This vision is similar to the 1948 Charter on Human Rights. His thoughts were also shared by M. Kemal Atatürk 600 years later, and the Turkish Republic was built on the principles of secularism, democracy and respect for human rights. His thoughts are still alive and still lighten the way for many people. It’s not the trivet but the fire gives the heat, The miracle is not in the crown but in the khirkah (woolen garment worn by a dervish) Whatever you’re searching for, search in yourself, It’s neither in Jerusalem, Mecca nor in the Hadj.
“ There is no need to discriminate between religions. Religions cause disputes among people. In fact, all religions aim to provide peace and brotherhood on earth” says Bektashi Veli in his opus “Velayetname”. Bektashism, which originates from Haji Bektashi Veli’s ideas, aims to comprehend the unity of “Universe,God and Man” based on human love. Man is ornamented with divine characteristics. The first step to success is to know yourself and love yourself because man harbours divine qualities within himself, and the man who loves himself also loves God. This quatrain explains Bektashism’s understanding of
love in the clearest way:
Students hew stone,
They hew and present it to their master,
In every inch of the stone,
They call God to mind.
Man is independent. His duty is to behave modestly and to feed, refine, mature and fill his spirit with love of God. Bodies are only tools for the main purpose. So discriminating between men and women or classifying people according to their social status or race is a huge mistake. Man or woman, all of mankind are equal. Haji Bektashi Veli’s views are still alive today and celebrated with excitement every year on the 15-17th August in the Haji Bektash region of the province of Nevsehir.
Another institution that contributes to Anatolian culture unity is ahilik. (rules, manners, attitudes of people sharing same profession) Ahi, who came to Anatolia with the Yesevi dervishes, preferred cities to rural areas because they had professions. Ahilik (being an Ahi), is not only a professional organization but also a sacred institution with its own rules, traditions, conformities and secrets. Ahi Evran Veli was a holy man from Khorasan, like Haji Bektashi Veli, who united Anatolian Ahis and made them an organized force. Ahi Evran’s wife, Sister Fatima (known as Woman Mother) set up the first woman’s organization in the world, “Baciyan-i Rum”. Ahis gathered in Ankara and Kirsehir under the sheik of Evran in the 13th century and spread to all Seljuk cities. Ahis played an important role in the formation of the Ottoman state, and to some researchers they even counted Osman Gazi, who founded the Ottoman state, his son Orhan Gazi and Sultan Murad and among their followers.
Equality between members is the first Ahi rule. All members are brothers. On the other hand, the institution has many internal rules, and beginners have a great respect for their elders. To become a member, one must be invited by an Ahi, and people with bad reputations or who have dubious jobs would never being accepted. For example, murderers, people who kill animals (butchers) or people who have committed adultery are not allowed to be members. As with Bektashism, becoming a member is celebrated with a special ritual. In this ritual, the Ahi candidate wears a special belt (Sed) and members instruct him, to treat everyone equally and honestly. Absolute affiliation and eternal obedience is expected from all members. Atheists and religious fanatics are not allowed to join. As with Bektashism, the Ahi goes through many stages in which he learns patience, purification of the soul, loyalty, friendship and tolerance.
In addition to these qualifications mentioned above, there are six important principles:
1. Open your hand (be generous to everyone),
2. Share your food,
3. Open the door of your house when somebody needs shelter,
4. Close your eyes (don’t be led astray by the artificial beauties of the world),
5. Control your waist (Don’t be a victim of your sexual impulses),
6. Control your tongue.
He who comes with patience and God,
Stands by our side.
He who works with morality and wisdom and passes us,
And stands our side.
There are many degrees in Ahism. In these, the student learns professional skills, sufism and religion, reading and writing, Turkish, Arabic, Persian, music, mathematics and the Constitution of Ahi “Futuvvetname”
The nine degrees of the Ahi are:
• Young fellow
• Assistant
• Apprentice
• Experienced Apprentice
• Master
• Ahi
• Caliph
• Sheik
• Grand Sheik
Although the Ahi institution has now weakend, it is still officially celebrated every year on the second Monday in October.
Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi is another Anatolian holy man who gave hope and inspiration to humanity. Mevlana was born in 1207 in Khorasan, and died in 1273 in Konya. He took his first lessons from his father Bahaeddin Veled, who was known as “sultan of scholars”. While he was studying Sufism he met Ahi Sems Tebrizi, and after this meeting his own ideas began to emerge. It is his poems about Sufism, however, for which he is chiefly remembered, respected and admired today.
The branch of love comes from ancient times, and its root from immortality,
That greatness is too much for this mind and morals,
Fade away, pass through your existence. Your existence is murder.
Love is nothing other than finding the truth.
According to Mevlana, love is the only thing necessary to attain God. A plant or an animal may also love, but it is only man who has the capacity to love with his body, mind, thoughts and memory. Mevlana exalts the state of being in love with a woman because if someone loves someone else, he also loves himself, humanity, the universe and God. The most beautiful love, “Love of Truth,” begins when someone reaches this level of wisdom. Followers of Mevlana (Mevlevi) spin around and around in a ritual called “sema.” This ritual symbolizes a world united in love and keeping step with the world’s universal rotation. While one of their hands points to the sky, the other hand points to the ground meaning “ Love from God spreads to the earth”. The spirit bursts forth from God and is immortal. The sound of the nay (a reed flute) tells of man’s longing to return to his initial source.
He means that the universe is an endless place within the existence of God, and as a small part of the whole, man keeps that divine essence inside him by saying, “You who search for God, it’s you that you’re searching for….”
Come, no matter what you are,
Whether atheist or sun worshipper.
Whether you’ve backslid a thousand times,
Come, no matter what you are.
As we see, all mankind are brothers, and differences between religions do not square well with the divine presence. Mevlana attaches great importance to women and maintains that men and women are equal, saying, “The more you insist women should cover themselves up, the more you incite people’s desire to see them.
Like a man, if a woman’s heart is good, she will chose the path of goodness independent of your prohibitory actions. If her heart is bad, you can’t influence whatever you do.” Mevlana’s students were called Kitap-el Esrar (Clerks of the Secret). There were Muslims, Christians, Jews, Iranians, Armenians, Rums and Turks among them. His students from different cultures and religions collected his poems and gave them as a gift to later generations.

CONFORMITY

Conformity consists of model attitudes and behaviour which often defined as the strict expectations of society. It also represents society and the cornerstones of its common values. In connection with social structure, this system of common values constitutes the basis of a special law or any code within that legal system.
It is able to designate relations, behaviour, attitudes and manners between individuals, individuals and the family, individuals and neighbours or relatives and relations between individuals, people and the nation.
With its coercive sanctions, conformity continually pressurizes every individual in a society to provide some kind of harmony between the individual and the community.
In some societies, refusing to conform is regarded in the same way as violating laws, and can sometimes be punished even more severely.
CUSTOM
Like conformity, customs also arrange, manage and supervise many social relations. Customs have an influence on society, encouraging good order and affecting the application of rules. For example, greetings and farewells, meals and table settings, celebrations and blessings, asking a family for their daughter’s hand in marriage, engagement ceremonies and weddings, relations between the sexes, peer groups and professional colleagues, rules to be applied during greeting and inquiring after someone’s health, attitudes connected with religious festivals, seasons and other important days, appropriate things to say in expressing and accepting condolences are all evaluated within the framework of customs.
Customs originate and take shape from various origins, some of which may be the way of life in the past, a range of visions, interesting coincidences and events. Beyond customs, which comprise society as a whole, there are also customs which concern a specific group such as professions, religious denominations or ethnic groups. Some religious leaders and association managers have deliberately or otherwise attempted to change a custom into a tradition. Although some customs are quite stable and continual, others may change with time. Still other customs protect their natures with small changes to reflect changing conditions, some others lose their vitality and energy, and disappear like living organism.
TRADITION

Broadly defined, tradition is knowledge, concepts, superstitions and way of life, which can pass from one generation to another. In other words, tradition is non-material culture. According to a narrower definition, it is a society’s opinions, valid for generations, on important subjects such as sacred or political issues. Traditions can be oral or written. Like customs but in a stronger way, they play an important role in managing and shaping social life. With their conservative character, traditions influence social institutions such as the family, law, religion and politics. Arts and science are less affected by traditions. When a person goes against his community or society’s traditions, he will face sanctions in proportion to the degree of that resistance. This punishment may be ostracism, offence, being scorned or ridiculed. Just as with customs, there are laws originating from traditions. Laws are intended to establish appropriate sentences for violation of traditions. In general, traditions govern a wider area than legal codes.
CONVENTION

Compared to conformity, custom and tradition, conventions have less sanctionary influence. Something should be done in conformity, had better be done in custom and tradition and may be done in convention. Briefly, it means to do something in a way which earlier generations also followed. Although it indicates appropriate and necessary behaviour, it does not compel people to comply with these attitudes. Conventions are potential traditions, and may be innovated by changes in the structure of the community or society. Convention may survive or disappear over the time. They play a characteristic role in arranging relations in daily life, in reducing misunderstandings between individuals and in facilitating social relations among members of a group. They help relations to continue smoothly by determining how to behave when visiting neighbors or sick people, getting acquainted with someone or when traveling in a group

Daily life is the sum of efforts by family members settled in one place, in order to survive by mutually fulfilling their responsibilities.
Daily life in Anatolia concerns one fixed period, beginning with the rising of the sun and continuing till sunset.
Within this period, the duties of parents and children were shaped by conformity, customs, traditions and conventions that are the legacies of former times. On the other hand, due to changes in social and economic conditions, we can observe some changes in the way individuals carry out their duties, even if their contents stay the same.

Social life contains a large number of different beliefs, customs, traditions, rites and ceremonies, stereotype attitudes, etc. in many fields. In small settlements in particular, where traditions, customs and beliefs are more influential, death is a concept that reinforces of social solidarity. Death, which is seen as a person’s physical disappearance although he continues to live in spirit, is generally a terrifying phenomenon. With the subconscious pressure created by this fear, a number of events or manifestations are interpreted as omens of impending death, including unexpected forms of behavior, objects being used in a particular way, meteorological events (a shooting star, thunder, northeast wind, etc.), the behavior of animals and noises made by them (barking of dogs, the hooting of owls, a rooster crowing at the wrong time, etc.), dreams (of coffins, wedding dresses, wedding-festivities, camels, houses being demolished, falling teeth, onions, pepper etc.), vehicles and machinery (a shoe turning upside down, a pair of scissors being left open, creaking sounds in the ceiling etc.), as well as physiological and psychological changes (someone’s growing pale, an increase or decrease in appetite, staring fixedly at one point, etc.) in the sick person. People tend to avoid events that are thought to trigger the process of death. Among the ways this has done, is to slaughter the rooster that crows at an inappropriate time, giving some food that has prepared at home or bought outside to the poor if one sees a bad dream, describing that dream to water, waking up pregnant women or children if they are asleep when a dead person is taken away, emptying water cups in the home, where there is a funeral, sweeping the home after the deceased has been taken away, turning cauldron in which the water used for washing the dead has been boiled upside down etc.

People try to comfort the individual who is dying. In order to do this, the pillow under the head of the person who has realized that he is dying is taken away, he is given water, no one weeps loudly in his presence, and relatives who live far away are called to be present. If they are unable to be present, objects that belong to them or photographs are shown to the moribund person. An imam or someone who can read the Koran is also called to attendance.

In the immediate aftermath of a death, the deceased is removed from the bed he died in and placed on the prepared floor, called a ‘comfort bed.’ His jaw is bound up and his feet tied together (usually at the big toes). If the person died at night and there was a relative on his way coming to see him from a long way away, the body is not buried. The waiting time for burial does not pass 14-15 hours (if the died in the evening he will be left until noon the following day; if he died in the morning, the waiting period ends that afternoon). A piece of iron is placed on the stomach of the deceased to prevent the body swelling up. The deceased is not left alone. Local people are informed of the death by word of mouth and by the salah (a prayer recited on certain occasions by the muezzin before he issues the call to prayer). After that, the process that is thought to ease the passage of the deceased to the other side. These practices are also fulfilled to protect the living people from the bad effects of death.

The first practices regarding sending the deceased off include washing the body and enshrouding it within fixed rules. If the deceased was a woman, she is washed by the other women, and by men if the dead person was male. Washers are experienced and well-versed in the rules. In villages, the body is washed inside the house or on a bench reserved for this purpose in the garden, and few people are allowed to be present. When the deceased is washed, the relatives pour a bowl of water over the body, give their consent and ask the deceased for whatever they have shared in the past. In big cities, the deceased is washed in a room reserved for this purpose in the cemetery. The piece of cloth used as a shroud is always white. The shroud for women has more parts to it than that used for men. As a female corpse is wrapped in the shroud, henna (this may also be applied to her hands before the body is washed), black cumin, rose water, Zamzam (water from a well near Kaaba) etc. are sprinkled inside the shroud. When the deceased is waiting for burial or as the body is wrapped in the shroud, incense may be burned nearby to prevent any bad odors. The enshrouded body is then placed inside the coffin and taken to the place where funeral prayer is performed. The funeral prayer is performed at the cemetery or else in the mosque. Women are not usually able to attend the funeral prayer.

Following the funeral prayers, the coffin is carried to the cemetery by the congregation. The grave is prepared before the coffin is brought there. Graves for women are usually dug deeper than those for men. Many different types of burial have been observed in archeological excavations in Anatolia, which has been a home to many civilizations. Bodies have been found inside large, earthenware jars, or in coffins, or placed in storied compartments in a sarcophagus, in tumuli and sometimes in mummified form, etc. Recently, the most popular form of burial is that a flat grave is dug or a separate cavity is opened inside the grave and the body is placed there. The cavity is closed up with branches, adobe, bricks or briquette, and the grave is filled with soil. The body is usually placed in the grave without a coffin. Following the burial, prayers and formulae thought to help the deceased on the other side are recited by the imam. The soil used to fill in the grave is then allowed to settle, which takes about a year. A tombstone may be erected at both ends of the grave, or only at the head. These can be of stone or cement, and recently of marble. Graves are usually, in villages and big cities, in public cemeteries, but there are also family graves in land belonging to the family. There are also family graves set aside in large public cemeteries in some cities. A hollow spot is generally provided or a pot is placed on the grave to hold water and flowers. Various trees (pine, willow, mulberry, cypress, poplar etc.) are planted at the head end of the grave. The tombstone is embellished, with the deceased’s name, birth and death dates and sometimes various literary expressions being inscribed on it. Tombstones serve as historical documents since they reflect the age in which they were made. People avoid stepping on the graves and take care not to allow animals on them. In big cities, there are also commercial institutions that carry out funeral services – from issuing obituary notices to organizing the burial.

Following the burial, people offer their condolences in the graveyard or at home in order to console the relatives of the deceased. Visits to the home of the close relatives of the deceased to offer condolences continue for a while. Meanwhile, no food is generally cooked in the home of the deceased for 2-3 days (in villages), being brought in by neighbors instead. The deceased is remembered on the third, seventh, fortieth and fifty-second days after his death with religious ceremonies and meals. It is believed that the dead pass through a number of stages, the most common of which is the belief that the flesh is removed from the bone on the fortieth or fifty-second days, and it is a common belief that whatever commemoration is held on that date will ease the suffering of the deceased. Furthermore, the deceased is also contented by this, which prevents him doing any harm to the family. It is believed that the smell of the halva or other foods cooked and distributed on special days (the third, seventh and fortieth days after death, festivals, Thursdays etc.) reaches the dead.

While some of the belongings of the deceased (cloths, shoes etc.) are kept as a memento, most are distributed to the poor; if the belongings are not taken by anybody or are in bad condition, they are burned.

If there is a wedding near a home where someone has been buried on that day, musical instruments are not played. The consent of the family of the deceased has to be obtained to be able to play musical instruments on the other days. This applies not so much to cities, but rather to close-knit small settlements. The pain and suffering felt at losing someone we love or know are experienced in the context social patterns, a process known as mourning. The close family of the deceased refrain from attending social activities, and do not wear new clothing for a while (between 40 days and 1-2 years). In some regions, the men do not shave for 1-2 weeks. People also cry out for the deceased. The duration of the mourning period is longer if the deceased was a young person.

It is believed that the spirit of the deceased wanders around and sometimes visits its old home, and that it leaves happy if something is made for it, but that it suffers distress if it realizes that this has not been done. People tend to visit graves on religious festivals or on the day before them. During these visits, people pray in front of the graves, burn incense and candles and distribute money, sugar, sweets and foodstuffs prepared at home.
In our world, with its rapid changes and intense technological development, it is still a fact that death comes to all. Here, the beliefs and practices in society fulfill the function of helping to make this fact more tolerable.

Military service is deeply rooted in the Turkish culture, and is regarded as a sacred duty. Joining to the army is equated with being an honourable and virtuous person. In rural areas in particular, men who have not performed their military obligations are not well regarded, and what they say is not taken seriously.
The beginning and end of military service, which Turkish society in general attaches such a great importance, like the other major landmarks in life, marked with ceremonies. There are regional differences in the ceremonies for sending someone off and welcoming him back.
One of the most widespread practices all over Turkey is for young men who have received their call-up papers to be invited to dine by all their friends and relatives in turn. The young soldier-to-be mat also be entertained with his family. It is also customary for entertainment to be laid on during and after such celebratory meals.
In the province of Kars, such young men visit their relatives in the city and the surrounding villages to bid them farewell, during the course of which they are given gifts of money and pastries to keep them going on their journey.
In the village of Kırtıl in Silifke, the evening before young men are due to leave for military service, they invite their male and female friends to their homes and carouse until late. Money, known as ‘good luck money,’ is placed in the young men’s pockets.
In the village of Verimli in the Ankara region of Kızılcahamam, elderly men and women say, ‘This is so you should stand guard for me’ as they hand over their ‘good luck money.’
During send-off ceremonies at Seydişehir, the women divide the pastries they have prepared into three. One part is thrown into the water as ‘food for wolves and crows.’ One part is wrapped in the young man’s shirt and kept in a chest, and the third part is given to him to eat on the journey. Each time the young man comes home on leave a part of the piece lying wrapped up in his shirt is broken off and given to him to eat. After seeing the soldier off, the women all gather at a fountain and eat. No wooden spoons can be used during the meal, since it is believed that if anyone does so, the young soldier will receive frequent beatings during his time in uniform.
In the village of Şükranlı in Eskişehir’s province of Seyitgazi, the young man is made to cut wood in front of his fiancee’s house, if he has one, in the belief that this will help him get used to hardship.
As well as such farewell rituals as these, which concern a particularly important part of life, there is an equally wide range of ways of welcoming young men home after the completion of their military service.
In that same village of Kırtıl the soldier brings henna with him once he has been discharged. On the evening following his arrival back to the village, visitors who come to welcome him back burn the henna, known as ‘soldier’s henna,’ which is meant to bring with it good luck.
Another matter regarding the performance of military service is soldiers’ letters home, written with great longing and yearning for home. These letters usually begin with greetings, explain how things are going, and end with a tradition quatrain.
Greetings are extended to the all soldier’s friends and relatives. In the days when communications were not easy and letters were very much the only means available, married soldiers would find it difficult to express their feelings for their wives, who would be staying under their fathers’ roofs, out of fear that other people would read their letters. They therefore resorted to coded verses:
‘Go, my letter, go.
Learn of her and return.
We are two who once were one,
Ask her if we are three.’
This is an example of a soldier asking his young wife if she was expecting.
As well as these letters of general news, there are also humorous soldiers’ letters, generally sent to close friends.
There is great rejoining when a soldier’s military service comes to an end and he returns home. Friends and relatives visit him constantly for up to two weeks, and he is treated as a guest in his own home and not allowed to do any work. In some regions the young man is also given gifts during the course of such visits

Marriage, another turning points of the life, is both individual since it brings together the lives of a man and a woman, and social, since it establishes family and kinship ties. The wedding ceremony takes place as a “festival”, especially in small village communities, since it is an activity covering the whole village. While some of the ceremonies held during different stages of the wedding can be considered as a feast and entertainment, others resemble an “elegy”.

The stages of customs and ceremonies covering the whole wedding procedure can be listed as following:

A. Before the wedding
I. Matchmaking and asking for the hand of a daughter
II. a. Verbal agreement to betrothal
b. Sherbet
c. Engagement
III. Koran-accompanied wedding gift announcement
IV. Sending and exhibiting the trousseau
V. Bridal bath

B. Wedding
I. Henna night
a. Bride henna
b. Groom henna
II. Receiving the bride
III. Marriage
IV. Bridal Chamber
V. After the Bridal Chamber

C. Practices after the wedding
After the decision that a young man is to marry has been taken, the journey begins with looking for a potential bride. In traditional parts of society in particular, families which wanted to marry off a son used to take a leading role in the search for a bride. It may be observed that this situation has started to change recently. Young people themselves choose the people whom they will marry after dating them, or the decision is taken together with the family.

In the form of marriage that is initiated by “viewing visits”, the mother of the boy and women close to the family visit the home of the girl and inspect her. If they like the girl, she is then shown to the groom. If he also likes her, the family decides to officially ask her family for her hand.

Visiting the home of the girl and asking her father for her hand is called “dünürlük” (task of father and mother-in-law), “dünürlüğe gitme” (visiting as father and mother-in-law), and “elçiliğe gitme” (visiting as an envoy) and similar names. The prominent women and men from the family visit the girl’s family to ask for her hand according to the command of God and the word of the Prophet at a previously determined sacred date (Thursdays and Sundays are generally considered days of good omen). Yet since the girl’s home is expected to be a place of modesty, the girl’s family does not give its consent on the first visit. A few visits to ask for the girl’s hand are made, giving the family of the girl enough time to think about it. If the family gives its consent, a verbal agreement to betrothal is made. In accordance with the request of the two sides, the bride and groom may put on their engagement rings on the same day, and this is sometimes done at an engagement ceremony held separately. After verbal agreement to betrothal has been made, the guests and the hosts drink sherbet to provide a sweet harmony between the families, which is a widespread custom. Drinking sherbet means that the family of the girl consents to the marriage and that it will go ahead. The families also discuss issues such as the dates of the engagement and wedding ceremonies, the household goods to be purchased or the amount of bride price as they make their verbal agreement to the betrothal.

After both sides have completed their preparations, an engagement ceremony is held at the girl’s home, generally with the women in attendance. The man’s family hands over the jewelry and other gifts purchased for the girl; in return, her family also gives presents. The ceremony can include an engagement feast if the sides so wish. This joyous event is at the same time celebrated with entertainments. Engagement means both take a step towards to the marriage and starting period determined for the wedding and an opportunity for the both sides to get to know each other and maintain a harmonious relationship. In the event of disagreement between the sides, the engagement can be broken down, although this is almost always a last resort.

The next stage after the engagement is the wedding. First of all, the people around should be invited to the wedding. Another custom that is fading nowadays is distributing “recited” food or gifts to the people in the village. (The Koran is recited as the gifts or food to be distributed are prepared, hence the name.) In one sense, a wedding invitation can even be “recited”. One individual is charged with distributing the ‘recited’ gifts to the village. These can be a piece of cloth, a handkerchief, a hand-painted kerchief, or food such as sugar and pastries. As these are distributed the guests are also invited to the wedding.

Although fairy tales mention wedding ceremonies lasting forty days and forty nights, they generally last for three days in Anatolia. Currently, two-day ceremonies held on the weekends are preferred for economic and social purpose.

The wedding ceremony, the basis of marriage, consists of two main parts:
a. Henna night
b. Receiving the bride

The ceremony held one day before the wedding in the home of bride and groom is called the henna night. It generally takes place at the girl’s home and among the women, although either side can elect to host it.

A flag is planted on the roof of the man’s home at an early hour on the day henna night will be held. This is done by a specially chosen standard-bearer in the company of a large crowd, who celebrate the occasion amid great festivities. In some places, a meal called flag bread is handed out to the crowd. Flag-planting means the wedding has officially started.

On the day of henna night is to be held, or a few days earlier, the trousseau is taken from the girl’s home and brought to the man’s, and the bridal chamber is prepared. The trousseau is sometimes exhibited to the guests for a few days in the girl’s home before the wedding, and in the man’s home during and after it. It is a widespread tradition that someone sits on the trousseau chest, asking for a tip as it is taken from the girl’s home. In addition, in the early hours of the day the henna night is to be held, a group of women from the bridegroom’s family take the henna that will be placed on the bride’s hands and feet, her clothes and the food that will be offered to the guests to the girl’s home, again to the accompaniment of great festivities. The women who gather in the girl’s home on the henna night have fun for a while, but later try to make her cry by singing sad songs. Henna that has earlier kneaded with water is brought in on a tray surrounded by candles and placed in the middle of the room. In some places, the henna is first put on the hands of the bride and then distributed to the guests; the other areas the henna is first distributed to the guests, and only after everybody has left it is placed on the bride’s hands. If the woman so wishes, henna can also be placed on her feet apply to the hair. Considerable attention is paid to charging a woman with a happy marriage, called the “başı bütün” (meaning “whose head is complete”, In a sense, this describes her as someone who has a complete family with husband and children and whose marriage is whole, not separated by divorce) to knead and distribute the henna and apply it to the girl’s hand. The woman places the henna on one of the bride’s hands, and a young girl places it on the other. Before the henna is applied, coins or gold are also placed in her hands.

The day after the henna night is the day for receiving the bride and of the main wedding ceremony. Both sides to the wedding offer food to the guests, usually entertaining them to the accompaniment of drums and reeds. In the early hours of the morning, ceremonies known as the bridegroom shave, preparing the bridegroom and such are held at the man’s home. The bride is readied in her own parent’s home. Professional women who work at all wedding ceremonies and prepare the wedding feasts are generally employed for this. On that day, the guests in the man’s home go to the girl’s house to receive the bride. As the bride leaves her father’s home, a red belt, also called a belt of perseverance, is tied around her waist by her brother or uncle. After the bride has said farewell to her family, she is taken out of her father’s home to the accompaniment of prayers, sometimes to hymns, and sometimes with festivities accompanied by reed and drum. As the bride leaves her home, she does things at home so that her single friends may also marry. These include unraveling an unfinished stocking before she leaves so that her friends can marry one after the other in rapid succession, like the unraveled stocking. Some religious and magical rites are performed to provide the couple with happiness, for a smooth marriage as the bride is leaving her father’s home and as she steps into the man’s home. These include a mirror being held behind the bride as she leaves her father’s home, expressing the wish for her to have a bright life. In the same way, as she is passing through the threshold of the man’s home, butter, honey and similar things are spread on the threshold and the door jamb with the aim of providing a sweet harmony between the bride and the people in her new home. 
People throw out the sweets, coins, dried fruits and nuts over the head of the bride, as an expression of a wish for abundance.
The night of the wedding, a small feast is given to the remaining few guests in the house of the groom’s family, and then a religious ceremony is held to marry the couple, presided over by the imam. In earlier times, the official wedding could be held any time after the ceremony; but recently, great care has been taken that the official wedding should be held before the wedding ceremony. The official wedding is usually held when the families of the bride and groom come together to go shopping for the ceremony.

After the religious ceremony, the couple come together in their own room. Meanwhile, a series of religious rites and spells are performed to provide a harmonious relationship between bride and groom. These include thrusting a knife into the door of the room, or opening a lock in front of the door. In addition, the people there are asked not to cross their hands and arms. Food specially prepared earlier for that night by the bride and placed in her trousseau chest, together with a food tray with other meals, are left in the room. In some places, a single spoon, a single fork and a single glass are put on the tray to oblige the bride and groom to share them. It is believed that they will get used to each other much quicker that way. Then follows the custom of inspecting the bed sheet that is the symbol of the bride’s innocence and chastity. The aunt or cook who is responsible for organizing the wedding is informed of the situation of the bride, and then conveys this news back to the families. Sometimes, if the bride proves not to be a virgin, she may be sent back to her father’s home.

The day after the wedding, other festivities called the bridal veil day, face revealing or head covering are held. These are much simpler than what has gone before and involve only the women. In earlier times, the bride would be taken to the village fountain and asked to fetch water during these festivities. The bride also used to knead dough and cook pastry. This was the result of a belief that such things would bring abundance to the new home. These things have all been forgotten, however. Bridal veil day festivities are not held in many places either any more.

Circumcision is among the most significant traditional procedures related to the child in Anatolia, and is the strictest and most widespread practice among religious and ritual procedures. No parents ever wish to break away from this entrenched custom. The sanctions of the tradition are so strong that no objection is ever permitted.
The word “sünnet” (the word used in Turkish for circumcision) comes from Arabic origin and means “busy path”. In a broader sense; it refers to the path to God and the good or bad attitudes which human being adopt.
In Islam, complying with the practices and teachings of the Prophet is known as “sünnet”. Society makes almost no concessions on this. Consequently, young boys who have not been circumcised for various reasons within the socially acceptable period for this practice feel uncomfortable with their situation. People who have not been circumcised at the socially acceptable age are usually humiliated and criticized. In this respect, the sanctions imposed by a deep-rooted custom still function as intensely as in the past.
The tradition of circumcision is mainly separated into the following headings;
- The best age and time for circumcision,
- Preparations for the ceremony,
- Preparing the child,
- The circumcision procedure and the circumciser,
- Gifts and presents.
The best age and time for circumcision:
There are no specific rules for determining the best age and time for the ceremony. Children are usually circumcised before they start to school or when they go to primary school, before puberty. Recently, however, in big cities, some parents have been having their children circumcised right after birth in the hospital. The main aim is here to prevent the child suffering pain and fear at a later age. Such early circumcisions are not encountered in traditional sections of society.
Circumcision performs a number of functions in the social structure; a grand circumcision ceremony not only allows the family of the boy concerned to affirm its respectability in the eyes of the community, it also increases that respectability, as well as being a source of considerable joy for the parents. In Anatolia, taking care of the child, having him circumcised and having him married are duties of the parents.
Wealthy relatives have poorer children or orphans circumcised together with their own children. This task is sometimes also undertaken by charities.
Spring, summer and autumn months are generally preferred for the operation: Nowdays, Saturdays or Sundays are preferred for the circumcision ceremony, especially in big cities. In the past, the circumcision operations were usually carried out on Thursdays because Friday was a holiday and considered a day of good omen.
Preparations for the ceremony:

A family starts preparations by determining the time they will have their son circumcised almost two months beforehand, in accordance with the boy’s age and their economic situation. The family decides on a date and announces it some ten days before the day selected for the ceremony.
This announcement can be made by means of either;
- sending messengers with the news, or
- printed invitations.
In traditional communities in particular, great attention is paid to inviting everybody.
Preparing the child:
The family starts to prepare the child for the circumcision a few days before the ceremony. In fact, the child begins to experience the joy and the fear of the operation long before that. In traditional communities, parents start to prepare their son for this significant turning point in life months beforehand.
A special circumcision outfit is the most important part of the preparations for the ceremony. Rich families adorn their sons with jewels in big cities, and a light blue headgear on which the word “Maşallah” is embroidered on the front is the most common element of circumcision outfits there. In villages, the children who will be circumcised wear new outfits; a “çevre” (a surrounding piece of cloth) and “yağlık” (a large napkin) are hung around their necks and shoulders, and bridal tinsel is hung from the back of their headgear. A few days before the ceremony, or even on the day itself, the children to be circumcised are paraded around with their friends, either on horseback, on a cart or else by car. People are informed by means of this parade that the child is to be circumcised.
The circumcision operation and circumciser:
The circumcision procedure consists of cutting off the child’s foreskin. The boy is sat on the lap of his kirve (someone who acts as a kind of godfather at the circumcision) if he has one, or if not, on the lap of some other relative. The boy is made to open his legs, and the person whose lap he is sitting on holds the boy’s arms very tight. Meanwhile, encouraging words stressing manly virtues are spoken in order to help reduce the child’s fears. Before and during the operation, the words “Allahu ekber Allahu ekber” are uttered, and people recite a very common bantering couplet “oldu da bitti maşallah, iyi olur inşallah” (It has happened at once, May God preserve him; it will grow better, by God’s will). The person who carries out the circumcision procedure; that is the operation, is generally referred to a “sünnetçi”, meaning circumciser. This individual is also known as the “abdal” (wiseman) or “kızılbaş abdal” (scarlet-head wiseman) in Central and Eastern Anatolia.
Nowdays, Currently, the operation is carried out by trainned health officials, who describe themselves as “fenni sünnetçi” (scientific circumciser).
Gifts-Presents:
The major turning point of the circumcision ceremony is enhanced with various gifts, usually consisting of gold, money, clothing and household goods. Today, the practice of giving gifts and presents to the boy who has been circumcised still continues.
THE INSTITUTION OF “KIRVE”
The kirve is also called “kirve”, “kivra”, or “kivre” in different regions.
The institution of the “kirve” can briefly be described as a virtual kinship that is formed when one of two economically and socially equal families meets the expenses of the circumcision ceremony for the other. The kirve is the person who will support the child during the circumcision to ease his pain by taking him into his lap and at the same time, meet expenses of the ceremony, in full or in part. People who have their children marry each other by means of the “kirve” institution have a kinship relationship, and families who engage in “kirve” relationships enjoy a lasting friendship. We lack sufficient information about the origin of the “kirve”, which is very common, especially in the provinces of East, South and Southeast Anatolia.
Although it was more popular in the past, the “kirve” still exists since it fulfills the following functions:
The concept of the “kirve” is an important social institution since;
- It strengthens currently existing relations,
- It enlarges the social web of the families involved,
- It functions as a social security mechanism,
- It brings together families with different languages, religions and ethnic origins,
- It makes it easier for outsiders to adapt to the area,
- It brings with it significant bargaining power with increased solidarity and strength.

The relationship established by means of the kirve lasts until death. The children of kirves are forbidden to marry. This ban brings with it much more relaxed relationships and thus leads to stronger bonds between the kirves.

A series of rules, customs, ceremonies, processes and practices are exist which, covers the development of the child after birth and which regularize his/her relations with parents, other members of the family and social surroundings. The child has to be protected as he/she passing through the stages, taken care of, and gradually adapt to the forms and values, in other words the model adopted by the group or cultural environment of which he/she is a part. These process and practices, customs and ceremonies are sometimes flexible and sometimes strict in accordance with the importance attached to them.
Naming the baby;
The first thing is to give a name to the baby. People do not feel comfortable without naming a person, a thing, a situation or an event, and thus without referring to them by a symbol and describing them by means of an adjective. In any event, situation or object without a name causes unease.
In traditional sections of society, the baby is usually given a name with a religious ceremony. This still applies in many places although it is gradually loses influence.
Since naming the baby is no ordinary matter, it is carried out by a celebration and blessing, although this is not overstated. The name, which has been selected beforehand, is given at a meeting held for the purpose. A clergyman or a respected devout individual gives the call to prayer and whispers the name of the baby into its ear three times. If no imam is present, the name is given by the father or grandfather of the child in the same way.
Giving a middle (umbilical) name to the child is also common. The name given to the child while the umbilical cord is being cut off, is called its “umbilical name”.
The umbilical name is given to children in Anatolia because;
- It is believed that the child will be called by his/her umbilical name in the grave,
- He/she will be called by his/her umbilical name,
- He/she will be called by his/her umbilical name as the imam reads the a final repentance and forgiveness prayer for him/her as he/she is lowered into the grave.
Apart from the main name of the person, another name is frequently given and used, especially by close relatives and members of the group of which he/she is a part. This is called the “nickname” and is mostly seen in traditional parts of society, especially in villages.
Giving milk;
Modern medicine and traditional culture agree that mother’s milk is the healthiest nutrition for the baby.
In traditional culture, the first milk is given to the child after three calls to prayer. With this, people believe that the child will have patience in the future. The mother’s first milk is called “ağız” (mouth) and is duly given to the child. It is believed that a child who does not have mouth milk will be thin and weak in the future.
In traditional culture, boys are suckled more than girls. The reason here is that people want their sons to be very strong and powerful.
Teeth wheat;

When the baby teethes, one of the most significant signs of a child’s biological development, Turkish people usually mark the occasion with a ceremony. Behind this ceremony and festivity which are held to mark the appearance of the teeth, which are essential for chewing, are the desires to bless food, increase the child’s chances of earning his/her daily bread, increases in plenty, and so on. In this ceremony, a number of traditional practices also take place to ensure the child has strong and even teeth.
The most common name for this ceremony and festivity, which has different names in different regions, is “teeth wheat”. In different regions, it is called “diş aşı” (teeth meal), “diş bulguru” (teeth bulgur), and “diş buğdayı” (teeth wheat).
Starting to walk; It is a another biological stage for the childhood when, the child starts to walk around. In the past, a number of practices were resorted to for children who, failed to walk in the expected time, who were late to start walking, or who continuously fell down when doing so.
Some of the practices are following;
- Spreading egg on the child’s heels,
- Washing the child in water to which walnut leave and salt has been added,
- Taking the child to places of pilgrimage.
Cutting the fingernails of the child;
Customs and practices related to the first fingernail cutting are also very common in Anatolia. The most common practice is for the baby’s hands to be put in a sack full of money after his/her fingernails have been cut for the first time. If the baby is a boy, the money he takes from the sac is used for the capital of the business he will later set up. If it is a girl, the money she takes is kept as money for her dowry.