ISTANBUL
by Burcu Arik Ozer
On the Christmas Eve, the Christian community in Turkey's Istanbul is preparing to celebrate the annual religious holiday marking the birth of Jesus Christ.
Christianity has a rich history in Anatolia, home to a total of 65,000 Armenian Orthodox, 15,000 Syriac Orthodox, 8,000 Chaldean Catholic and 2,500 Greek Orthodox believers.
"The name 'Advent' refers to a season, it begins four Sundays before Christmas," Lulian Pishta, the priest of Istanbul's largest Roman Catholic church- the St Anthony of Padua Church- told Anadolu Agency (AA).
Focusing on the meanings of Christmas decorations, Pishta said, “We decorate the sanctuary and explain what all the decorations mean.”
“For hundreds of years, Christians have used an Advent wreath to inspire their hopes of the coming of Christ. By lighting candles and reading Bible verses, we are reminded about the meaning of Christ’s birth and become more excited about his coming in the past, in the future, and in our own lives."
Explaining the meaning of the four candles of the Advent wreath, he said, "The four candles point to peace, hope, joy, and love. The main theme of waiting is used to give structure and meaning to the Advent candles, with each candle focused on different aspects of our waiting until Christmas night."
"Christmas is the symbol of new beginning"
"A thousand people attend the ceremony on the eve of Christmas," said Pishta, reminding that St Antuan is the only church in Istanbul that conducts masses in the English, Italian and Turkish languages.
"We sing hymns in three languages on Chrismas Eve and the day of arrival. The dinner is really important for us. After the mass in the church, everyone makes preparations for dinner at home. The families have their special culinary traditions. We call the dinner 'the mass in the family' and we pray to and thank God," he added.
Stressing that the St Antuan community follows St Francis of Assisi, an Italian Roman Catholic friar who founded the Franciscan order in 1209 and inspired followers with his devotion, simple living, and love of nature, Pishta told an AA reporter they believe there are two ways to get to heaven.
"The first is faith and the second is beauty. That's why we garnish everywhere in Christmas. Preparations in the church, decorations and trees attract everyone's attention. Priests undertake the preparations," he said.
Likening Christmas to the Islamic Eid al-Fitr, Pishta noted, "Christmas is really important for us, it is a spiritual practice. People lavish gifts on each other as it improves the relationships."
Criticising traditions which turn Christmas into marketing with the effect of capitalism in modern times, Pishta stressed, "It's sometimes really difficult in this season to find a time for meditation, sitting quietly for a while, thinking, especially about gratitude. Everything has just turned into marketing."
"Christmas is the symbol of new beginning," said Pishta, adding that everyone should be in expectation of God's forgiveness and the hope of a better today and tomorrows still to come.
Christmas in Turkey, so different, so alike
"Advent is a preparation time, time to evaluate your life and examine where you’ve come in your Christian walk,” said Vicente Harris, a Brazilian-American youngster. “We truly believe that 'I need to be a better person than I am today.'"
"Have we changed since last Christmas?’ Each Sunday, we put out a new area to be looking at," added Harris.
Expressing that Christmas is a time for families to gather and create new memories to hold dear to their hearts, Harris said, "In recalling past holidays, three words come to my mind: faith, hope and love. The faith that there is a higher power who watched over us each and every day. The hope of a better today and the tomorrows still to come."
Having lived in Istanbul for two years, Harris said, "The residents of Istanbul decorate the streets, the private as well as the commercial buildings, with lights that are available in the shops in their various designs, colors as well as sizes. Some of the shops, stores and some houses are adorned with Christmas trees, which are decked with various decorative pieces."
"However, we long for the Christmas spirit. I feel alone on my first Christmas in Turkey, which is so different but so alike."
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