7 Traditions in Turkey That Only Locals Can Understand

Due to the ongoing blending of ancient Turkish culture and a more modern urban lifestyle, Istanbul has its fair share of odd traditions, just like all primary metropolitan cultures worldwide. So, if you want to visit here, please apply for a turkey visa online. These customs are always funny to someone who is not from or a resident of the country, whether it be a religious belief that has adapted itself to city life or a western influence thought that has adapted itself to Turkey.

 

The Ramadan Drummer

 

Muslims worldwide, including Turkey, observe Ramadan as one of the year's most critical holy festivals. The sacred month is celebrated with a feast on the final day after a 24-hour fast. Of course, folks back then needed to know precisely when they would wake up in the morning to eat their meal since there were no alarm clocks. As a result, there were Ramadan drummers in every neighbourhood who would roam around playing their drums like a holy alarm clock. These drummers still wander the streets of every area today, beating their drums to the dead to wake everyone up. The drummers also request tips, and some hosts let them into their homes in exchange for a small gift or a hot dinner.

 

Fortunetellers

 

Young Turkish ladies in love or heartbroken frequently engage in this custom since fortunetellers are considered the world's best therapists because they can tell you precisely what you need to hear. In some cafes, like Melekler Kahvesi in Beyoglu, you can find fortunetellers from all over Istanbul. Still, if you want a truly good falci, you'll need to ask a local who probably knows someone amazing and only works by appointment.

 

The Circumcision Party

 

Any Turkish kid getting circumcised can anticipate a large family celebration with gifts and an extravagant costume on the big day. Even though the operation itself is tedious, the fact that it signifies the passage from boyhood to manhood is a reason to celebrate in any Turkish home. A cape, hat, and sceptre are included with the circumcision outfit.

 

Keşkek Festivals

 

A long time is spent beating wheat and barley before boiling it to make the traditional dish known as keskek. In Istanbul, the Keşkek Festival is a reasonably frequent community celebration of a religious holiday or a significant occasion, such as a wedding. Large healing potions of soup are a regular sight since making a lot of keşkek is necessary because the holiday is a communal event. You can only imagine how well-attended these keşkek parties are when you see media articles bragging about how a tonne of keşkek was consumed in a single hour.

 

Expressive Car Honking

 

For a city afflicted by traffic, we may argue that Istanbul's official soundtrack is car honking, and most locals have grown numb to the constant noise. However, occasionally numerous automobiles honk at once, which is very loud and annoying. If you've lived in Istanbul for a time, you'll be familiar with this sound as a tradition that indicates marriage or a person leaving soon to finish their military service. The general rule is that a wedding occurs if white gauze is tied to the car mirrors, and an army service send-off happens if young men hang out the windows or the roof.

 

Melting Lead Ceremony

 

The evil eye, or the idea that other people's ill energy (often brought on by jealousy) passes from their eyes into your life and causes bad luck, is a belief that is extremely popular in Turkey. A trendy ceremony involves melting lead in addition to the glass evil eye that is sold everywhere in various forms and sizes. An expert visits your home and forces you to sit at a table covered in a cloth. She then melts lead and violently pours the molten lead into cold water with a spoon, causing the hot information to explode and scatter the lousy energy surrounding you. The little pieces of information that create evil eyes when they come in contact with the water can be kept.

 

Christmas Decorations for the New Year

 

Since Turks do not celebrate Christmas at all, it is extraordinary that Christmas decorations are everywhere in Istanbul on New Year's Day. We're not sure when that happened, but Christmas decorations Santa Claus and Christmas trees—started to serve as harbingers of the New Year as opposed to the Christian celebration of Christmas. Even if nothing happens on December 24, it's always odd to see enormous Santa Clauses peering at you at malls and Christmas trees and lights around you in Christmas-appropriate colours and shapes.

 

If you want to explore Turkiye and enjoy its festivals, this is the time to apply for a turkey e visa online.