Marriage and Family

In rural areas, families are greatly involved in deciding whom a person will marry, but in urban areas the choice is generally the couple’s. It is against the law for women to marry before age 15, and men before age 17. In cities, many wait until their education and sometimes military service have been completed before getting married. The average age for marriage is 22 for women and 25 for men.

Traditional wedding celebrations are increasingly rare. They last three days, beginning with the “henna evening,” called kina gecesi, which is an event only for women. The women decorate the hands and fingers of the bride with henna-leaf dye, and dance and sing. On the second day, both sets of parents serve lunch and dinner to their guests. On the third day, the bride is taken to the groom’s home after folk dances are performed.

In rural areas, traditional values prevail, and the father is the undisputed head of the family. Members of the family, often living as an extended family, are loyal to and dependent upon the family unit. In urban areas, nuclear families are the norm and traditional authority structures are less pronounced. It is rare for a person to live alone, mostly for economic reasons. Women gained the right to vote in 1927 and equal rights to divorce in 1934, when civil marriage contracts were introduced. Many women in urban areas work outside the home 37.3 percent (1999)

Eating

Breakfast is usually light, consisting of tea, white cheese, bread, butter, marmalade or honey, and olives. The main meal of the day is eaten in the evening and may consist of several courses. Traditional Turkish cuisine includes meze, a tray or table of hors d’oeuvres, including stuffed grape leaves, salads, shrimp, and a variety of other items; and shish kebablar (chunks of lamb on a skewer). Meat is often grilled. Fish is fairly plentiful along the Bosporus and the coast, but tends to be expensive. Vegetables are usually prepared in olive oil, and rice pilav is common. Soups are an important part of the diet. Turkish desserts include baklava (syrup-dipped pastry) and muhallebi (milk pudding).

Turkish coffee (kahve), a thick brew served in small cups, is served with nearly every meal. Despite being overwhelmingly Muslim, Turkish people enjoy locally made beer, wine, and spirits. The national drink is raki, an aniseed-flavored clear grape brandy, similar to Greek ouzo or French pastis, that clouds when water is added.

Breakfast is usually eaten around 7 am, or earlier in rural areas. Lunch is at midday, and dinner, the main meal, is around 7 pm, when the family generally expects to sit down together. Eating habits vary according to the region and the food being eaten. Traditionally, many foods are eaten with the fingers, but utensils are now widely used. To begin or end a meal, one might say Afiyet olsun (“May what you eat bring you well-being”). One may compliment the cook on the meal by saying Elinize saglik (roughly, “Bless your hand”).

Socializing

When greeting friends or strangers, one shakes hands and says Nasilsiniz (“How are you?”) or Merhaba (“Hello”). A typical response to Nasilsiniz is Iyiyim, teşekkür ederim (“Fine, thank you”). Among friends, greetings are followed by polite inquiries about one’s health, family, and work. Among close friends of the same (and sometimes opposite) gender, Turks clasp hands and kiss on both cheeks when greeting. To show respect, an older person’s hands may be kissed and brought to touch the greeter’s forehead. The youth often greet each other with Selam (a salutation). Someone entering a room, office, or teahouse might say Günaydin (“Good morning”) or, when leaving, Iyi günler (“Have a nice day”). When parting, it is customary to wish for blessings from God (Allaha ismarladik), to which the response is Güle güle (“Be on your way with a smile”).

Upon joining a small group, one greets each person individually. When addressing others formally, professional titles are used. Among peers or with younger persons, the title Hanim is used for women and Bey for men. These titles follow the given name—for example, Leyla Hanim or Ismail Bey. With older people, one uses Abla for women (Fatma Abla) or Agabey (Ahmet Agabey) for men. These terms mean “older sister” and “older brother.” If there is a great difference of age, the terms “aunt” and “uncle” are used, again after the first name: Teyze for women and Amca for men.

Hospitality is an integral part of Turkish culture. Friends, relatives, and neighbors visit often. In large cities, people usually try to telephone in advance, but in places where this is not practical they may visit without notice. The tradition of hospitality dictates that visitors are always invited in and offered something to drink, such as tea, coffee, or soda, and sometimes something to eat, such as crackers or cookies. It is impolite to decline the offer.

In homes where the inhabitants remove their shoes and replace them with slippers, guests should do the same. Guests should avoid asking their hosts personal questions and, because a visit to someone’s home is an occasion for harmony and enjoyment, bad news or accounts of problems should be saved for another time and place. First-time visitors to a home may bring a small gift.

Recreation

Soccer is the most popular sport for both spectators and participants, but Turks also enjoy a variety of other sports, including volleyball, basketball, wrestling, and swimming. Other principal recreational activities include watching television, going to the cinema, and socializing in the home or in cafés and restaurants, although women are less likely to socialize among themselves in cafés and restaurants, especially in rural areas.

Holidays and Celebrations

Muslim holidays are reckoned by the lunar calendar and vary from year to year. A major Muslim festival is the three-day holiday called Şeker Bayrami (“sugar holiday”), which comes at the end of the month-long fast of Ramazan (Ramadan). A favorite treat at this time is rahat lokoum—colorful cubes of gelatin candy covered with powdered sugar—which is known in the West as “Turkish delight.”

A four-day Muslim holiday called Kurban Bayrami (“sacrifice holiday”) honors Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, at Allah’s command. It also marks the season of pilgrimage to Mecca (Makkah). An animal is usually sacrificed on this day to symbolize Allah’s allowing Abraham to sacrifice a ram instead of his son as a reward for his show of faith.

Secular holidays in Turkey are reckoned according to the Gregorian (Western) calendar. Other official holidays include New Year’s Day (1 January), National Sovereignty Day (23 April, also Children’s Day), Atatürk’s Memorial Day and Youth Day (19 May), Victory Day (30 August), and Republic Day (29 October). The day before Republic Day is also a holiday in some areas. August is when most people take their vacation.

National Sovereignty Day commemorates the Grand National Assembly’s inauguration on 23 April 1923. In honor of Children’s Day, 400 students are given the chance to take seats in the national government in the nation’s capital for a day. Atatürk’s Memorial Day and Youth Day commemorates the beginning of the national movement for independence in 1919, led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. On Victory Day, military parades are held, the world’s oldest military band—the Mehtar band—plays, and fireworks are set off. Republic Day celebrates the anniversary of the founding of the republic in 1923.

Source: Encarta Interactive World Atlas

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