A Social Ceremony: Wedding Dishes and Rituals in Anatolia

The culinary culture of each country differs depending on the geographical conditions of the place of residence, climate, cultural background, their religious beliefs and other similar factors that that constitutes the social structure. Turkey; located at the junction of the Asian and European continents, it is a country consisting of 7 geographical regions and 81 provinces, surrounded by seas on three sides. As in every society in Turkey, birth, wedding and events in the transition period is considered to be life or death created around it are experienced with certain ceremonies. Weddings are one of the important traditions that constitute the beginning of the family that created the society, reflecting the lifestyle of the society and history go back old times. Wedding ritual is a universal feature common in all cultures and objectives in Turkish culture and contains important meanings for different communities living in Turkey and has traditional features. In addition to this, the believes that the meals prepared as a treat in weddings that are held as a collective entertainment ritual will bring abundance. The aim of this study was to determine experienced wedding rituals and dishes associated with common features and differences in the different geographical regions of Turkey. In this context, the books prepared by the Culture and Tourism Directorates affiliated to the Provincial Governorships and the studies (research articles, reviews, graduate theses, congress papers, books) published between 1985 and 2020 were scanned and the data obtained were compiled under titles. As a result of the study, it is seen that traditional wedding ceremonies and dishes still maintain their value when going from the city to the villages. However, in almost all regions, although the stages until the wedding day are occured on different days and in different forms, it is observed that the dishes are the basis.

Keywords

Culture, Gastronomy, Tradition, Wedding Meals, Wedding Rituals.