Birthdays are always meant for celebration, family and friends. Birthdays are typically the same everywhere in the world I would guess; however, I noticed a few slight differences in Turkey.
Firstly, on my actual birthday, my host family was gone to another city, so celebration was left to my friends. It was enjoyable and nothing spectacular. Gonca, Erman, and I went to a bar/cafe, Popcorn, on the kordon of Alsancak. There we just mingled around, talking and so forth. I thank them for not letting me be alone on my birthday! :D
The actual celebration came this past weekend when me and my "Turkish mom" celebrated our birthday together. Now typically in America, at least from my experience, the family will prepare your favorite meal, and buy some cake and ice cream. In Turkey, from the birthdays I have seen, the family will set out several different orderves and drinks, like that of a huge luncheon. I guess that is the Turkish culture shining through, never letting you go hungry. For my birthday in particular they made some fajita chicken wraps, which I might add were amazing. Unlike in America, where the family will buy the cake ahead of time, Turks order the cake and is delivered to the door. Side note: you can get almost anything delivered to your door (loaf of bread, McDonald's, water, yogurt). However I havent been to a birthday where they serve ice cream, but trust me, the amounts of icing makes up for it!! ;)
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| This is even minimum from what I have seen in the past! :) |
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| Ceyda serving our wonderful food! :) |
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| I really love Ceyda sooo much! Such a warm personality! |
Everyone sits around with all the lovely food and smiling faces conversing back and forth. Someone then will bring in the cake with sparklers and candles lit singing happy birthday(in Turkish, of course). Just like in America, you make a wish and blow the candles out. But, immediately after blowing the candles out, you must make one cut in the cake from the center for increased luck.
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| Baris serving the yummy cake with a smile! :P |
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| Blowing out the candles. |
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| Cutting the cake from the center of course! :) |
Now the cake alone is magnificent! Every birthday cake I have seen is typically 3 layers and a work of craftsmanship and is so unbelievably delicious! See the pictures below for reference. :D
After the cake we then exchange gifts which is always fun and then begin eating the cake and talking some more.
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| My second family! :) |
All in all you can see that it is pretty much the same, just some slight differences in food and cakes. It was a quite enjoyable birthday celebration, and will miss this experience quite a bit next year I can highly imagine. My love for Turkey even goes down to the birthday celebration, and not just for the cake! ;)
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