The New Year's Tree

I taught Christmas to a receptive group of students this week, and learned that the Turks have sabotaged nearly all of our Christmas traditions for their New Year's celebration. I taught them about the Christmas tree, which I've learned is their New Year's tree. I said, "We put gifts under the Christmas tree for our loved ones on Christmas." Their response: "We put gifts under the New Year's tree for our loved ones on New Years." Frustrating, isn't it?

Now to be clear, this isn't some mind-blowing coincidence. These traditions did not evolve independently of one another, and as far as I'm concerned, we had them first. Now I know I'm supposed to be bridging the cultural divided here, but at what point does cultural understanding give way to criminal complacency? Maybe I'm overreacting.

A few of our Christmas traditions have yet to be imported. The mistletoe is a baffling tradition, as is the Nativity scene, as you may imagine. But I was happy to have a receptive audience throughout my entire presentation. I played some Christmas music to boot, which they enjoyed. Although it's not like celebrating the holidays at home, I'm fortunate to be able to share my passion. If little else, my students understood the values promoted this time of year: goodwill, charity, compassion, and peace. Their head nods told me so.

With Christmas coming soon, I'm planning a trip to Iznik or modern-day Nicea. In Christianity, Nicea is known as the site of the First and Second Councils of Nicea, the first and seventh Ecumenical Councils, and the Nicene Creed where the doctrine of the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Ghost) was established. Such history translates into Nicea being one of the most important historical citied in all of Christianity. I'm looking forward to spending time there.

From what I've heard, Iznik is quaint, and is said to take only a day to explore. It lays next to a lake with a number of small cafes and restaurants making it a preferred summer destination for Istanbulites seeking some R&R.

So those are my plans thus far! I'll keep you updated. Love and miss you all.

Take Care.