Nazar beads, or evil-eye beads, are traditional Anatolian beads used to ward off evil, similar to evil-eye traditions all over the world. The word “nazar” is derived from the Arabic word for “sight,” and is sometimes also referred to in Turkey as a “Blue bead” or “mavi boncuk.”
Top Three Uses for Beads
1-Gifts for Newborn Babies
2-Hidden on Clothing to Ward Off Evil
3-Homedecoration and Clothing Prepared by Ceren&Esma
One of Our Common Traditions: Bayram Visits & Kissing on the Hand
(Prepared by Şule & Yaren & Nazlı
from Tes-Is Adapazarı Anatolian High School /Senem Sönmez)
It is a common tradition in Turkey to visit each other
during ”bayram”.
Bayram is called as
“festival /feast” in English.We have two religious feasts.Ramadan Feast is celebrated at the end
of the Ramadan.It lasts 3
days.Approximately two months later The Feast of Sacrifice is celebrated.It
lasts 4 days.On these days relatives/friends visit each other, sons /daughters kiss their parents on the hand
and sometimes children /teenagers kiss close
friends/relatives on the hand ,especially if they are old, in order to show respect. Young people get
pocket money or presents like
sweets,chocolate etc.
In the previous years
children around the neighbourhood would
ring the doorbell, celebrate bayram, kiss elderly on the hand and after
that cologne is poured inside their hand
and they were given sweets/chocolate or pocket money.Nowadays, especially after
pandemic we could rarely see it.
IISS Mauro Perrone Castellaneta, Italy, Mr. Roberto Rocco
THE BRASCIOLE
The term ‘brasciole’ indicates harse meat rolls preparated in Apulia, medium to large in size. In the Bari and Taranto province, the tradition wants that it is customary to prepare this dish on holidays, cooking them in a tomato sauce wised than to season traditional orecchiette, homemade pasta typical of Apulia.
The orecchiette with brasciole ragù represent the Sunday dish par excellence in many Apulia families.
PREPARATION
The thin slices of meat are beaten with a meat tenderizer, salted and peppered and seasoned with parsley, cheese, garlic and my mother also puts capers in it, the slices are then rolled up and then tied with sewing thread or browened with wine white and cooked in the traditional tomato sauce.
Edited by Giusy Ricci
IISS Mauro Perrone Castellaneta, Italy, Mr. Roberto Rocco
Ancient Christmas Trees
My grandmother always tells me about an ancient Apulian tradition, starting from the beginning of the twentieth century. The first Christmas trees were decorated with oranges and tangerines, embellished with silver stars, gold threads, silk or small ribbons pieces of cotton, to give the idea of snow. On the branches, children found toys, gifts, candies and chocolates. After the blessing of the head of the family, they were distributed to the children. The tree was a symbol of welcome we sang, played and danced all together near the tree.Today our houses are dominated by majestic trees decorated with Christmas balls of various sizes and colors, glitter, fake snow, feathers and necklaces and chains silver or gilded not to mention the various garlands that we have throughout the house.
IISS Mauro Perrone Castellaneta, Italy, Mr. Roberto Rocco
Carnival
During the carnival period in Italy the carnival is celebrated in the countries of Christian tradition and in particular in those of the Catholic rite, the celebrations take place in public streets. There are many games but one of the most fundamental is masking
In Puglia one of the most important carnivals was born in 1394, it is the CARNIVAL OF PUTIGNANO, a small town in the province of Bari, where carnival begins on the day of St Stephen on 26 December
The Dauno or Sipontino Carnival is an event held in Manfredonia. A parade of papier-mâché allegorical floats takes place. Typical dishes are eaten.
The Massafra Carnival traditionally begins on January 17, the day when the feast of Sant'Antonio abate occurs. From January 17, the festivities were "Thursday of the monks", the "Thursday of the priests".
IISS Mauro Perrone Castellaneta, Italy, Mr. Roberto Rocco
Apulian wines
Italy, and Apulia as well, is famous for its wine production.
The wine production of Apulia is among the most important in Italy in terms of quantity. It started with Romans. Among the many fine wines of Apulia we find the Primitivo di Manduria, that is a DOC wine.
Primitivo di Manduria is a natural sweet wine whose production takes place in the provinces of Taranto and Brindisi, with a red color and a pleasant taste. It is drunk with first meat or vegetables courses and with meat main courses.
Other well-known red wines are: Negroamaro, Nero di Troia, Salice Salentino.
Drinking a glass of wine here in Apulia is also a way to share time with friends or tho relax while you read you favorite book and taste finger foods like tarallini or bruschette.
Edited by Monica Mayerhofer
IISS Mauro Perrone Castellaneta, Italy, Mr. Roberto Rocco
Visit Rome!
Rome is a perfect destination for tourism and in particular for the field of visits and school trips. You can’t miss the capital of Italy if you travel to our country.
Rome is a big cosmopolitan city with an artistic, architectural and cultural history that has influenced the whole world and that goes back almost 3000 years. The ancient ruins such as the Forum and the Colosseum bear witness to the power of the ancient Roman Empire. In the Vatican City, seat of the Catholic Church, there are St Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums, which houses masterpieces such as the Sistine Chapel, where there are frescoes by Michelangelo.
The Colosseum is located in the center of the city of Rome, and is the largest amphitheater in the world. Capable of holding an estimated number of spectators between 50,000 and 87,000.
It is known throughout the world as a symbol of the city of Rome and one of the symbols of Italy.
The Colosseum,in the past, was used to play games during which, according to the sources, the fights between gladiators and animals in the morning, would alternate with the afternoon performances, mostly characterized by executions, representations of famous battles also naval and ritual sacrifices.
The beauties that the eternal city guards and makes available to tourists and visitors on a daily basis, in fact, are countless and some of these are symbolic places of the Capital. These destinations are for example “I Musei Vaticani” and “Basilica di San Pietro” and welcome every day thousands of tourists from all over Italy and the world.
Then there are “Il Foro”,Circus Maximus and Baths of Caracalla that are ancient places full of memory that often turn into epicenter of the cultural life of the capital with exceptional theatrical performances, Trevi Fountain, in Piazza del Popolo we can visit three churches, the obelisk and the admirable fountains.While in Castel Sant'Angelo instead we can admire the famous castle, passing through the bridge adorned by ten famous statues representing angels.
The Pantheon cannot be forgotten, its dome houses a perfectly centered oculus that illuminates the entire building with evocative plays of light.
The city is a real open-air museum, and it is no coincidence that it is one of the most popular destinations for tourists from all over the world.
IISS Mauro Perrone Castellaneta, Italy, Mr. Roberto Rocco
Visiting Apulia you won’t miss a Panzerotto
If you come to Apulia, you can’t know PANZEROTTO, typical finger food. A deep-fried pizza roll, filled with cheese and tomatoes. Its delicious taste is indescribable, when you eat it, you will understand what I say. Panzerotto must be eaten hot and with your finger, after the first bite certainly you will have to blow inside of it and pay attention that the filling doesn’t fall.
RECIPE
Ingredients for about 30 Panzerotti
For the dough
– 500g 00-type flour
– Half a cube of yeast
– 190 ml of water
– Salt
– Sugar
– oil to fry
For the filling
– 100g mozzarella chopped
– tomato sauce
– Salt
The goal is to prepare a firm dough that must then be left to rise for 3 hours, covered with a cloth. After 3 hours, from the dough make about 30 balls and let them rise for another hour. Then work each ball of dough until it forms the shape of a small pizza, finally place the filling in the middle.
Very important: be careful not to overfill the Panzerotti because this could cause the dough to break during frying and the filling coming out.
To seal Panzerotti, press the dough with your fingers to form a sort of edge, this will prevent the filling from pouring into the pan.
Now, panzerotti are ready to fry, turn them over frequently in the pan and you will obtain a perfect golden-fried panzerotto.
There are many rumors about the events believed to have taken place in Muharram, known as the month of Ashura. The most common of these are; The landing of Noah's ark, Hz. The acceptance of Adam's repentance on this day, Hz. It is Abraham's saving from fire.
In Turkish society; elderly according to tradition or
the right of those who need to be respected
the top of your hand first to the lip and then to the forehead
It is the act of taking away.
The person whose hand is kissed says to express his good wishes «Those who kiss hands
get a lot ”word is widely used.The elder of the family, whose hand is kissed, gives gifts to the little ones.
Mărțișor is an old tradition celebrated all over Romania every year, on March 1st. The name Mărțișor is a diminutive of March (Martie in Romanian). It is believed that the person who wears the red and white string would enjoy a prosperous and healthy year.
Not long
ago, in the countryside, people used to celebrate the Mărțișor by hanging a red
and white string at their the gate, window, cattle's horn and shed to protect
them against evil spirits and to invoke nature's regenerative power.
In eastern
Romania (Moldova and Bucovina), the red and white string was complemented with
a small gold or silver coin. After wearing the coin for twelve days,
the women would buy fresh cheese with it hoping that their skin would be
healthy and beautiful the entire year.
According
to archaeological research, the Mărțișor traces its history back to more than 8,000 years. Some ethnologists
believe that the Mărțișor celebration has Roman origins, others support the
theory that it is an old Dacian tradition.
In ancient
Rome, the New Year was celebrated on the 1st of March. March ('Martius') was
named in the honour of the god Mars. Mars was not only the god of war, but also
the god of agriculture, which contributes to the rebirth of vegetation.
The Dacians
also celebrated the New Year on the first day of March. Ample spring
celebrations were dedicated to this event.
Back in the
old times, Mărțișoare were made of small river pebbles, coloured in white and
red, strung on a thread and worn around the neck. They were worn to bring good
luck and good weather, from March 1 until the first trees would bloom. When the
first trees blossomed, the Mărțișor was hanged on tree branches.
Nowadays,
on March 1, Romanians buy silky red-white threads (șnur) tied into a bow to
which a small trinket is attached and offer them to their (female) family
members, friends and colleagues to show friendship, respect or admiration.
This symbol, recently included in the UNESCO heritage, was a source of inspiration to composers as well
Arranging "Henna Night" is one of our wedding traditions.It is arranged one day or a few days before the wedding.
On the day the henna will be applied, a flag is hung in the girl's house. Hanging the flag means that the wedding has begun. Henna to be applied to the bride is taken by the boy's family. Most of the time the cookies are sent to the bride’s house before henna night. They may also be taken on the way while going to bride’s home on the day of henna night . Cookies, sweets, henna buns or henna halva are available. Those coming from the boy's house are welcomed and hosted at the girl's home.
In the evening the bride first wears an elegant dress, but before the henna is applied, she changes and wears a velvet-like caftan-type garment called "Bindallı".It is a very beautiful ornamented traditional dress. The bride's head is covered with a red veil.Meanwhile in a silver or copper bowl, henna is prepared by a girl.The girl/woman should be someone who has never separated from her parents.
When it is ready, the henna, brought by the male side, is put in a tray and decorated with candles. Young girls are given a candle to put inside their hands. They hold the candles in a row on the right and left sides and the bride and groom come through the row under the candles held by the girls.A chair is put in the middle of the hall.The bride and the groom sit on their chairs.The henna songs called yakim are sung. The aim is to create an emotional environment and thus make the bride cry. When henna is applied on the bride's hand, the bride does not open her hand at once.(as she expects a kind of gift –gold- from the groom’s family).Here people say "The bride does not open her hand ... The bride does not open her hand " When she receives her gift –most of the time gold- henna is applied to the hands of the bride on her palm.She wears gloves and waits for some time till it is completely applied on the skin. Henna can be applied to the groom as well. He also wears gloves.
After
applying henna, the night goes on
with dances and songs and of course with
delicious traditional sweets/nuts/cookies.
It’s that time of the year when people all around the country are baking this delicious dessert which is traditionally served during Christmas or Easter – it’s called cozonac, and it’s one of the most delicious brioche-like sweet breads that you’ll ever taste!
Cozonac is a sweet bread which contains milk, yeast, eggs, sugar, butter, oil and salt, which are mixed together and allowed to rise before baking. Depending on the region, Romanian cozonac is filled with raisins, Turkish delight, nuts, poppy seed cream, and can be braided in 2 or even 3.
A Romanian Christmas table is simply not complete without this delicious dessert – a hand-kneaded sweet bread with a chopped nuts and cocoa cream, which can be enhanced with raisins and Turkish delight bits. This is how I always make it, I like to add as much ingredients in the filling as I can.
1 kg flour
50 g fresh yeast
500 ml milk
350 g sugar
1 vanilla bean
100 g butter at room temperature
100 ml sunflower oil
5 egg yolks
1 teaspoon salt
Zest from one lemon and one orange
400 g finely chopped walnuts
5 egg whites
5 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa
Raisins
Turkish delight
An extra egg and a bit of milk for brushing
IISS Mauro Perrone Castellaneta, Italy, Mr. Roberto Rocco
APULIAN TRADITIONS AROUND THE TABLE
If you are lucky enough to be invited to lunch or dinner by an Apulian person,
never refuse. Anything put on the plate must be accepted and at the end of a
course, especially a pasta course, you have to make the "scarpetta".
The dilemma of the "scarpetta" (little shoe) which is an all-Italian expression
and cannot be translated into other languages, brings back to the greedy
habit of collecting the sauce left on the plate with a piece of bread.
But the etiquette puts a spoke in the wheel, because it is an unprofessional
action. Although many do not give up the shoe to prolong the pleasure of
the dish just eaten. Even the chefs appreciate the gesture of the shoe
because it is a sign of having liked the dish.
Making the shoe is a nice expression that finds its origin in the dialects of southern Italy.
Actually there are two origins: one is a sort of metaphor and compares the
shoe that is worn to the bread that passes on the plate. As the shoe crawls on
the ground and collects what it finds, the same way is done with the morsel of
bread that collects the sauce. The second origin, on the other hand, refers to the
word “scarsetta”, or poverty, which many years ago forced people to be satisfied
with what was there, usually very little and therefore cleaned up the plate because
there was hunger.
And it is rude to get up from the table. You only have to get up when you
have finished eating. Dinner is between 7:30 pm and 9:00 pm, but also
later. Never show up or arrive at the restaurant as early as 6pm.
At 6pm you can have the inevitable aperitif with friends at the bar with
a spritz and some snacks (olives, taralli, peanuts ...)
Last not least, pizza must be eaten with your hands and not with
cutlery, in fact even when an Italian uses cutlery he is asked "Aren't you Italian?"
edited by DOMENICA MANSUETO
