Post by bickern on Dec 18, 2008 10:15:56 GMT 2
Christmas is around the corner! At the end of December Christians all around the world will celebrate the date that commemorates the birth of Jesus, the central figure of Christianity’s holy book, the Bible. This is also a festive time for many expats living in Turkey.
Thus, this week, Today’s Zaman explains what it is all about and provides those interested with some hints about how and where to find a bit of Christmas spirit in Turkey!
So, let me first tell you the Christmas story, the story of the Nativity of Jesus as told in the Bible. According to biblical accounts, Jesus was born to the Virgin Mary, who was engaged to be married to Joseph, a Jewish carpenter. One night, an angel visited her and explained that she would conceive a son by the power of the Holy Spirit. She would carry and give birth to this child and name him Jesus. Joseph, upon hearing of this, was shocked, of course, and debated over whether he should really take this woman, who was obviously already pregnant, and marry her or not. But God sent an angel to Joseph to assure him in a dream that his marriage to her was His will and so he accepted it.
However, at the time, Caesar Augustus -- the Roman emperor at the time -- called for a census to be taken, necessitating every person in the entire Roman Empire to go to his own town to be registered. Joseph, being of the line of David, was required to go to Bethlehem to register with Mary, who was nearing the end of her pregnancy. Arriving in Bethlehem after a long and cumbersome journey, they were unable to find a place to stay and, after being rejected at many a door, they finally decided to settle in a crude stable, where Mary gave birth. She wrapped the baby in swaddling cloth and placed him in a manger.
Shepherds from the fields surrounding Bethlehem were told of the birth by an angel and, indeed, they found Mary, Joseph and the baby in the stable. After visiting, they spread word of the amazing child and everything the angel had said about him, praising and glorifying God and the birth of the “savior of the world.”
This is the story of the nativity of Jesus of Nazareth, also known as Jesus Christ or the messiah. Those interested can read up on the full story at www.christianity.com. This story has led most Christian churches to revere Jesus today as the son of God or the incarnation of God and it is this that is celebrated every year on Christmas -- with church celebrations and customs like gift-giving and the display of various decorations, including the Christmas tree, lights, candles and mistletoe.
Story of Jesus also found in the Quran
Interestingly, the story as told in the Bible has many parallels to the story Islam’s holy book the Quran recounts. Islam considers Jesus one of God’s very important prophets, a bringer of scripture and a worker of miracles. Jesus is also called the messiah, though Islam rejects the view that he was divine. Thus the Quran refers to Jesus as the son of Mary rather than the son of God. Further, Islam denies the death and resurrection of Jesus, believing instead that he ascended to heaven in bodily form.
Thus it goes without saying that Christmas is not an official religious holiday in Turkey, where nominally 99 percent of the population is Muslim. Christianity has a long history in Turkey and some of the earliest churches can be found here. The country is also home to a number of holy sites for Christian pilgrims. Turkey is the birthplace of numerous Christian apostles and saints, including the Apostle Paul of Tarsus and St. Nicholas of Myra -- a.k.a. Santa Claus, the popular mythological figure often associated with bringing gifts at Christmas.
According to a report prepared by the Turkish Foreign Ministry, 89,000 minorities live in Turkey. Next to 25,000 Jews there are a number of Christians, including an estimated 60,000 Armenians and 3,000 to 4,000 Greeks. The number of Catholics and Protestants, though not specifically identified in the survey, is even estimated to amount to 100,000. Numerous churches belonging to a variety of denominations can be found in Turkey so you should have no problem finding one in your neighborhood to attend the service on Christmas Eve or other community events these days.
Generally speaking, don’t worry too much about encountering problems in getting into the Christmas mood while in Turkey. At year’s end Ýstanbul will be decorated with lights all over; shops throughout Turkey decorate their windows with trees, snowballs and red stockings and you may even stumble upon Santa Claus giving sweets to children on the street or in a shopping mall.
And though all this is done to mark New Year’s Day and not to celebrate Christmas, it is surely a nice gesture to foreigners and will probably help you overcome some possible homesickness during these days of celebration. Go out and collect some branches of an evergreen tree at a nearby park, decorate the house with candles and fancy Christmas decorations, available at this time of year in nearly every bazaar. Fill the air with the smell of some homemade Christmas biscuits and you will see that it is absolutely possible to enjoy Christmas in Turkey. Merry Christmas to all!
Re-produced from New Zamman
Thus, this week, Today’s Zaman explains what it is all about and provides those interested with some hints about how and where to find a bit of Christmas spirit in Turkey!
So, let me first tell you the Christmas story, the story of the Nativity of Jesus as told in the Bible. According to biblical accounts, Jesus was born to the Virgin Mary, who was engaged to be married to Joseph, a Jewish carpenter. One night, an angel visited her and explained that she would conceive a son by the power of the Holy Spirit. She would carry and give birth to this child and name him Jesus. Joseph, upon hearing of this, was shocked, of course, and debated over whether he should really take this woman, who was obviously already pregnant, and marry her or not. But God sent an angel to Joseph to assure him in a dream that his marriage to her was His will and so he accepted it.
However, at the time, Caesar Augustus -- the Roman emperor at the time -- called for a census to be taken, necessitating every person in the entire Roman Empire to go to his own town to be registered. Joseph, being of the line of David, was required to go to Bethlehem to register with Mary, who was nearing the end of her pregnancy. Arriving in Bethlehem after a long and cumbersome journey, they were unable to find a place to stay and, after being rejected at many a door, they finally decided to settle in a crude stable, where Mary gave birth. She wrapped the baby in swaddling cloth and placed him in a manger.
Shepherds from the fields surrounding Bethlehem were told of the birth by an angel and, indeed, they found Mary, Joseph and the baby in the stable. After visiting, they spread word of the amazing child and everything the angel had said about him, praising and glorifying God and the birth of the “savior of the world.”
This is the story of the nativity of Jesus of Nazareth, also known as Jesus Christ or the messiah. Those interested can read up on the full story at www.christianity.com. This story has led most Christian churches to revere Jesus today as the son of God or the incarnation of God and it is this that is celebrated every year on Christmas -- with church celebrations and customs like gift-giving and the display of various decorations, including the Christmas tree, lights, candles and mistletoe.
Story of Jesus also found in the Quran
Interestingly, the story as told in the Bible has many parallels to the story Islam’s holy book the Quran recounts. Islam considers Jesus one of God’s very important prophets, a bringer of scripture and a worker of miracles. Jesus is also called the messiah, though Islam rejects the view that he was divine. Thus the Quran refers to Jesus as the son of Mary rather than the son of God. Further, Islam denies the death and resurrection of Jesus, believing instead that he ascended to heaven in bodily form.
Thus it goes without saying that Christmas is not an official religious holiday in Turkey, where nominally 99 percent of the population is Muslim. Christianity has a long history in Turkey and some of the earliest churches can be found here. The country is also home to a number of holy sites for Christian pilgrims. Turkey is the birthplace of numerous Christian apostles and saints, including the Apostle Paul of Tarsus and St. Nicholas of Myra -- a.k.a. Santa Claus, the popular mythological figure often associated with bringing gifts at Christmas.
According to a report prepared by the Turkish Foreign Ministry, 89,000 minorities live in Turkey. Next to 25,000 Jews there are a number of Christians, including an estimated 60,000 Armenians and 3,000 to 4,000 Greeks. The number of Catholics and Protestants, though not specifically identified in the survey, is even estimated to amount to 100,000. Numerous churches belonging to a variety of denominations can be found in Turkey so you should have no problem finding one in your neighborhood to attend the service on Christmas Eve or other community events these days.
Generally speaking, don’t worry too much about encountering problems in getting into the Christmas mood while in Turkey. At year’s end Ýstanbul will be decorated with lights all over; shops throughout Turkey decorate their windows with trees, snowballs and red stockings and you may even stumble upon Santa Claus giving sweets to children on the street or in a shopping mall.
And though all this is done to mark New Year’s Day and not to celebrate Christmas, it is surely a nice gesture to foreigners and will probably help you overcome some possible homesickness during these days of celebration. Go out and collect some branches of an evergreen tree at a nearby park, decorate the house with candles and fancy Christmas decorations, available at this time of year in nearly every bazaar. Fill the air with the smell of some homemade Christmas biscuits and you will see that it is absolutely possible to enjoy Christmas in Turkey. Merry Christmas to all!
Re-produced from New Zamman