The Tradition of Presenting Gold Gifts after Giving Birth in Anatolia

ALP K. Ö., ÖZDEMİR M.

FOLK LIFE-JOURNAL OF ETHNOLOGICAL STUDIES, vol.48, no.1, pp.35-47, 2010 (AHCI) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 48 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2010
  • Doi Number: 10.1179/043087710x12610655423609
  • Journal Name: FOLK LIFE-JOURNAL OF ETHNOLOGICAL STUDIES
  • Journal Indexes: Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.35-47
  • Keywords: Anatolia, evil eye, gold, tradition, childbirth, rites of passage
  • Ankara Haci Bayram Veli University Affiliated: No

Abstract

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.