Traditions are social manner patterns which have no legal bindings but are enforced by the society. In the case these patterns are broken, psyhological and social pressure will be enforced. These are a body of enforcement manners though not strict as a social code called “Töre”.These traditions are also rituals, possessing a sacred side; therefore changing these is untolerable. For instance, Groom shave is a tradition while the way it is performed is a pattern. Small changes may be observed in each village. Tradition is unchangable while the patterns may have minor differentiations.
Such traditions still survive as a part of life in villages.
ARET ÇİÇEĞİ : ( AFTERLIFE FLOWER)
This is a beautiful tradition which was sustained in the villages of Edirne until 1976. Two young girls become friends after elementary school.Their friendship is so perfect that they become Aret to empower it( This is called“ARET” in the villages of Thracia.) The whole village is informed to become Aret, a day is determined and the parents of girls make all the neccecary preperations until this day. These preperations include candies, rose cologne, rice, meat and regional clothes. When the day arrives, imam of the village and others who can read Qur’an are called. Qur’an is spelled, meals are eaten. Both girls are invited to stand in the middle of the crowd and a drop of blood is taken from their fingers. Their fingers are brought together. They are now “Blood Siblings”. After a short while, the girls stand in the midst of crowd wearing the same color and model of colors, kiss the hands of people and declare that they are now “Aret”.This is a sacred event.
The young girls then hang out, have fun and wander together. Even their haircut model is the same. They are now so closely related that their siblings or children cannot marry each others, their children call the other one “Aret Mother” or “Aret Father”. The most amazing and visually intriguing side of this rituel is when one of the girls marry, the other one gives her Aret Flower. This flower is either a pine or a flower with abundant branches. The other girl dresses smartly and prepares Aret for the one that will marry on which is a pack of cigarettes, a “tespih”, lighter, sucker, baby cap, men’s socks, baby socks, baloon, pocket mirror, a comb, parfumed soap, gums, apple, orange, pummel along with a bride wire and red “grep (scarf)” that surrounds the Aret flower. This flower is taken on the second day of the wedding (Saturday), all the villagers go to the Aret girl’s house to take the flower which is followed by a longlasting funfare in the house. Then the Aret flower is brought out. Villagers take this flower to bride’s house slowly, the bride greets the flower outside and takes it home. The flower is then carried to the groom’s house along with the bride on Sunday. This flower symbolises a neverending friendship. This tradition is performed by the other girl when her friend gets married as well. With the help of this symbol, the children show no disrespect or lack of love to these people. They are now solid relatives. While marriage among their bloodlines is strictly forbidden, the friendship between them lives forever leaving good memories.
Source towns and villages: Quotations from villages of Ömeroba, Süleyman Danişment, Hacı Danişment, Tatarlar, Taşlı Seymen, Domurcalı, Sarı Danişment, Kalkan Söğüt, Kara Hamza and Çeşme with Süloğlu and Lalapaşa on the lead.
Source Individual: Zeki DAG
Other than these, there are funtime traditions in our region such as Damat tıraşı (Groom’s Shave), Kına gecesi (Wedding’s Eve Night), Adım Çöreği(Step Donut) ceremony, accecory ceremonies, washing of “Gelin kınası” ( Cumalık ).
ARZU İLE KAMBER
Canım Arzu atlandı, buna yürek katlandı
Elimden bir şey gelmez, kalbime ok saplandı.
Turnam yüksekten uçar, yüreğime dert açar
Bize ne oldu Arzu can, Arzu Kamber’den kaçar.
KAZİBEM:
Ağlama Kazibem, sızlama Kazibem tellide gelinsin
Yedi seneye varmadan Kazibem, sen yine benimsin.
Söğütler altında Kazibem haşlama ocağı
Çok atardın moru ya da Kazibem, bulamadın kocayı
GALAMATYA:
Ovaya gel ovaya pancar otu yolmaya,
İstiyorlar sevdiğim seni benden almaya
Ayağında çoraplar kapkara zeytin gibi,
Bırakıp gittin beni babasız yetim gibi
DEBRELİ HASAN:
Drama köprüsünü bre Hasan gecemi geçtin
Ecel şerbetini bre Hasan ölmeden içtin
Anadan babadan bre Hasan nasıl vaz geçtin
At martini Debreli Hasan dağlar inlesin
Drama mahpusunda bre Hasan namın yürüsün.
Türkçe
English