My Turkish Christmas

Last week in Ewa Wojciechowska page I wrote about my Christmas in Turkey.

Everybody who was born in a family of catholic roots and celebrate Christmas know how hard it is to be in this time abroad and far from the family. It is of course hard for me too but I try with all my heart to celebrate Christmas with my fusion family like I celebrated it with my Polish family before.

There is no Christmas in Turkey. Turks celebrate New Year similar like Christmas. They decorate the Christmas tree, buy gifts, prepare a sumptuous dinner. The main dish is turkey. The streets of Istanbul are decorated with beautiful new year decorations.

 

 

 

You can buy at that time Atatürk çiçeği (Atatürk flower), which is our "star of Bethlehem" in the original comely spurge (Euphorbia pulcherrima) and Yılbaşı çiçeği (flower of New Year) and it is Kokin (Ruccus aculeatus) as the flowers of the season.

In our house we retains Polish traditions. We decorate the Christmas tree, prepare the Christmas Eve dinner, Santa brings gifts, and Santa Claus visited us also on December 6, in his name day, listen and sing carols. All catholics in Istanbul can participate the Midnight Mass in the Church of the Holy Anthony in Taksim, on the European side of the city, the ceremony is conducted in English-Italian-Turkish. Another possibility is Midnight Mass in Polish - Turkish language in "village" called Adampol or Polonezköy.

Before December 24 we meet with Polish friends on Mikołajki Day, organized by the General Consulate Republic of Poland in Istanbul. It is a children's event , but also a time to meet with the Polish living in Istanbul. Nativity play are staged with the participation of adults, children and students living in Istanbul for Erasmus . The whole program and the singing of Christmas carols ensure our Polish missionary p Arleta . Every year there is also a Christmas concert .

To Istanbul come Polish organists , choirs, opera singers , with a repertoire of Christmas carols.

This year it was a Chorus Magisterium of Stanisław Wiechowicz from Ostrow Wielkopolski.

Here is one of the song from that day.

We are spending Christmas at home with friends, mix families not only Polish -Turkish . Two years ago we celebrated with Estonian- Turkish family. And last year our Turkish friends with children who know Christmas from Germany and wanted also to know the Polish tradition. This year, Christmas Eve will be the Polish- Turkish- Cyprus. On our Christmas table, I try to prepare twelve dishes. These are meatless dishes . Me and Çağatay, we love to cook. My kitchen is simple and healthy. Cato experimental and even tasty. His are fish dishes and soups, mine vegetables, pies and sweets. Our special is pumpkin soup.

There is also borsch or fish soup, but pumpkin is excellent. We prepare grilled or fried and "Greek" fish. Carp is not a popular fish here. We have to get by without herring or buy marinated fillet only.

 I try to look for substitutes, or cook something new that fits the Christmas Eve menu.

I will also prepare kutia. I like it a lot and reminds me of my Polish family. 

My mom makes the best one!

 

More of Christmas Food recipies here.

 

As you can see we also spend Christmas in Turkey with Polish tradition.
Merry Christmas to the Polish people in Turkey and all over the World!