We give presents when it’s someone’s birthday, when a baby has just been born, and when people reach a special age, like 15, 16, 18 or 50. We also give presents to people we are in love with, and when people get married
A gift demonstrates your connection with someone. It can generate positive feelings, like friendship, love, gratitude, respect, loyalty and solidarity. But a gift can also be used to ask for forgiveness, make up for something, soothe your conscience, flatter someone or attract attention and make sure people do not forget you. Often, we give presents expecting to get something in return.
Guests at Pinar and Güney’s wedding gave gifts in different ways. There were 750 people at the wedding in 2013. Most of them gave the couple money or gold jewellery, a Turkish tradition that also exists in Turkish communities in the Netherlands.
When they congratulated Pinar and Güney, some guests pinned money to the ribbons round their shoulders. A master of ceremonies announced the name of the person giving the money, and how much they had given, using a microphone so everyone could hear. Some guests preferred to give money in a closed envelope.
This complete altar is very special. It is the ancestral altar of the families Kan, Han and Tan.
