'Tis the Season

Since up to ninety-nine percent of the population here in Turkey are Muslims, Christians are an obvious minority. Because it is a secular country - the only Muslim country in the world, in fact, that has no state religion - and the Constitution guarantees religious freedom, tolerance is the rule. Thus, the population includes members of the Armenian Apostolic and Greek Orthodox churches, Roman and Eastern Catholics, and Jews.

Last week, we had Wednesday through Sunday off from university for the Kurban Bayram (or Eid al Adha in Arabic), the Muslim holiday celebration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his own son for God/Allah/Yahweh. It also marks the end of the Hajj in Mecca.

On this day, Muslims have an animal slaughtered, then distribute some of the meat to the poor and use the rest for a big feast. Non-observers, my self included, admire carcasses hanging in public places where carcasses usually aren't and step over guts and blood in the street.

[I considered being really mean and posting pictures here, but I'm pretty sure no one actually wants to see any of it. I may still put them in my random Istanbul folder that I plan on putting on Picasa next week though. You've been forewarned.]

Sunday, I went Bayram visiting with one of my Turkish friends at his aunt and uncle’s place on the Asian side of the city. Basically, it was an excuse to eat lots of good food, practice my Turkish, and put off studying for just a little bit longer.

Monday night a few of us went to Christmas Eve mass at the French Cathedral here in Istanbul – it was one of 3 churches doing a Christmas Eve service. It was definitely an experience, seeing as it was one long (and by long I mean 2 ½ hours long) service in English, Turkish, French, and Italian. If my brain didn’t already hurt from studying for all my exams that I have this week it sure did when I walked out of the church at 2 AM from trying to follow the priests switching from one language to another continuously.

It’s hard to believe that Tuesday was Christmas. It’s a very different feeling here than it is back in the US. There is no Santa Claus, no Christmas trees, no lights, no carols, no nothing that reminds me of Christmas.



Ok, so maybe I lied…there he is, right on the Istiklal Caddesi–the skinniest Santa in the world!

But don’t let it fool you. At first his red suit and fake white beard seem out of context here, but the truth is that in Turkey, Santa is not a Christmas icon. Nope, here he is a bona fide symbol of the New Year.

Here, you have New Year trees, New Year ornaments, New Year e-greetings, New Year gifts. And to be honest, because I’ve gotten used to everything being there for New Years, this past weekend I almost forgot it was time for Christmas…almost, but not quite.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and have a Happy New Year!