FOLK LIFE-JOURNAL OF ETHNOLOGICAL STUDIES, vol.48, no.1, pp.35-47, 2010 (AHCI)
Exchanging gifts is an important aspect of Anatolian culture. The gift must be appropriate to the specifics of particular circumstances. When congratulating a family of a newborn baby, attaching gold to the clothes of the child is the most commonly-observed custom. Attaching gold as a gift relates to an ancient tradition observed in Anatolia. According to this ancient tradition, gold has the function of a nazarlik (amulet) protecting a defenceless baby from anything harmful, most especially the evil eye. In this article, the tradition of attaching gold in Anatolia is described in detail.