Turkish people have many religious, seasonal, and marriage-related special occasions and holidays. One important marriage tradition is the henna night ceremony for brides, where henna is applied in an celebration involving singing, dancing, and food. Henna is believed to symbolize devotion to the bride's new family and protect the couple. Common foods served at henna nights include baklava, su böreği (cheese-filled pastries), and yaprak sarması (stuffed grape leaves). Detailed recipes and preparation instructions are provided.

1. SPECIAL OCCASIONS IN TURKEY
Turkısh people have an extreme variety of
special days and holidays.
These special days have been sorted into
categories as follows:
1-Religious festivals (Fesat of Ramadan, feast
of sacrifice ,month of Muharrem ,Kandils)
2-Seasonal festivals ( Hıdırellez ,Nevruz ,Kiraz
bayramı ,Yoğurt bayramı ,Koc katımı ,Çiğdem
pilavı )
3-Marriage (söz kesme (giving permission for
marriage by parents) engagement, henna
night ceremony and wedding ceremony.

2. Henna Night ceremony
 Henna night ceremony is one of the oldest
tradition in Anatolia.
Traditional henna nights are organised in bride’s
house with hospitality .
 All relatives , friends of brides and grooms
participate to the henna nights.

3.  The henna nights are the nights mixtured
feelings of sadness and happines at one time.
 Happiness; because it is the meaning of begining
of a new life with someone loved.
 Sadness; because it is the meaning of leaving
your home you have lived for years.

4.  Henna is applied to brides for making them devoted
themselves for their families.
 People say that purpose of applying henna has also
one another meaning that is to make partners love
each other during whole their marriage.
 It is also believed that henna protects the couples
from evil eyes and their harms.
Why do people apply
henna to brides?

5. Henna is bought by groom’s
family and sent one day before
to bride’s house with some
cookies and some food.

6. In the beginning of henna night the bride wears an elegant
dress called “bindallı” mostly red decorated and long from
shoulders to ankles. Also bride’s head is covered by a red
scarf.

7. Before starting to apply henna, a chair is placed in the
middle of a saloon. All women come to saloon in an order;
firstly a young woman comes out with henna tray in her
hands, secondly bride, and finally other women come and
ceremony begins.

8. While applying the henna ,young women and girls,
in a circle around the chair, sing a traditional
henna folk song.
Henna is applied to the bride by a woman who has
a happy marriage .

9. A gold is put in henna for wishing to
bride and groom live in fertility.

11. After applying the henna to the bride’s
hands, a red scarf is tied up around her both
hands and two velvet gloves are worn.

12. When traditional henna application
finishes,women continue to sing folk songs
and dances till late hours.

13. The groom and bride’s family welcome the
guests with a rich dinner table.
Various kind of Soups,Kebaps,salads ,desserts
are offered to the quests.
The menu changes according to the region

14. The most common food offered at
henna nights are;
Baklava
Su böreği
Yaprak sarması

15. BAKLAVA

16. Ingredients
 3 cups sugar (for syrup)
 3 cups water ( for syrup)
 some honey(optional) (for syrup)
 1 wedge lomon (for syrup)
 25 sheets of phyllo (ready prepared)
 200 grams of butter (unsalted)
 300-400 grams of Walnuts/pistachios (chopped and
mixed with a little sugar)

17.  If you want to prepare the phyllos, you will need;
 1 water glass of milk
 1 water glass of oil
 3 eggs
 1 kilogram flour
 Half packet of baking powder

18. Mix the ingredients in a pot until you have got dough
HOW TO PREPARE THE PHYLLOS
Knead dough well.
Set aside for 15-20 minutes.
Divide the dough into pieces.

19. Roll the dough disks into pancake-like pieces. Use lots of
starch to avoid sticking.
Roll each piece the same size as your baking tray.
If they turn out to be thicker than 1 mm, continue to roll
until you reach the desired thickness.

20. HOW TO LAY THE PHYLLOS IN THE BAKING PAN
Melt the butter over the low heat.
Use a pastry brush
to grease with the
butter the bottom
and sides of the
pan

21. Brush each sheet of phyllo with butter just
before you add it into the pan.This is what
makes the phyllos come out crispy and
flaky.
Lay 7 sheets of buttered phyllos on the
bottom of the pan

22. On the 7th sheet, sprinkle the sweetened, chopped
nuts/pistachios. Sprinkle generously.
Lay three more sheets of buttered phyllos over the nuts.
Sprinkle another layer of nuts.
Keep going in this way, three more phyllos and sprinkle
some nuts again.
Finally lay 6-7 more sheets of buttered phyllos, and no
more nuts on top

23. Before baking, cut the baklava into triangles,
squares or rectangles shapes.
Bake it in a 200ºC oven for about 30-35 minutes,
until slightly browned.
Take it out of the oven when it baked enough and
let it wait for 5 minutes.

24. How to prepare syrup
Pour 3 cups water into a sauce pan.
Add 3 cups of sugar and a hedge of lemon,( and
some honey optionally).
Boil it for 10 minutes.

25. Then pour the syrup over the baked and
hot baklava till covering the whole top.
You can make service when it is cold
enough.

26. SU BÖREĞİ

27. Ingredients for making the layers of Su böreği
 350 gr/ 3 cups flour
 4 eggs
 1 teaspoon of salt
 1 tablespoon of vinegar
 1 more cup of flour to knead and roll

28. Break the eggs into the pot.
Add a spoon of salt,two spoonful oil
and the flour.Mix them until you have
got dough.

29. Mix the dough ingredients and knead well and set aside for
15-20 minutes.
Divide the dough into 10-12 pieces.
Roll the dough disks into pancake-like pieces. Use lots of flour
to avoid sticking.
Roll each piece the same size as your baking tray.
If they turn out to be thicker than 1 mm, continue to roll
until you reach the desired thickness.

30. For the cheese filling:
 100 gr feta cheese
 200 gr grated kashar, cheddar, Mozzarella or any
type of mild flavored meltable cheese
 1/2 cup of chopped fresh parsley leaves
For assembling and baking:
3 lt of boiling water with 1 teaspoon of salt added,
2 tablespoons of sunflower or olive oil,
150 gr melted butter,
10-12 sheets of phyllo(yufka) dough
you’ll also need a colander and a 30-40 cm round
baking tray.

31. Now, boil each pastry sheet individually for one or
two minutes in salted oil-added boiling water.
Then put into a bowl of preferably icy cold water.
Prepare the filling
by crumbling the
cheese and mixing it
with chopped parsley.

32. Starting with 5-6 phyllo sheets or one unboiled rolled
sheet at the bottom, brushing each with a little melted
butter.
Between every three boiled sheets spread the cheese
filling.
When you finish all the boiled pastry sheets, put 5-6
phyllo sheets as the top layer without any filling between.
Put an unboiled pastry sheet on the top.
Brush some oil.

33. Put it in the preheated oven at 180 C until golden, which
is usually around 30-35 minutes.
Cut into slices .
Su böreği is ready for service.

34. YAPRAK SARMASI WITH OLIVE OIL

35.  If you are using fresh grape leaves; Put the leaves in boiling
water and cook for 5 minutes till they are soft. Drain and remove
the stems.
 If you are using preserved grape leaves, just remove the stems.
 Ingredients
 500g vine leaves as thin as possible
 500 grams onions
 1.5 cups rice
 1 water glass olive oil
 3 cups boiling water
 2-3 lumps of sugar
 1 lemon
 A spoonful o salt
 Chopped mint leaves (optional)
 A pinch of black pepper
 100 grams of pine nuts
 100 grams of currants

36.  Instructions
 Peel the onions and cut them thinly. Sauté without oil and
at a low heat.
 When the onions' colour is getting darker, add the oil.
 Then add the rice and continue to sauté.
 Next, add 1.5 cups of boiling water and put in the sugar
and spices (pimento, black pepper, salt, other ingredients)
 Lower the heat and allow to simmer until the rice absorbs
all the water.

37. Now put a spoonful of the mixture in
each vine leaf. Wrap them carefully as
thick as you desire.

38.  Finally lay all of them in the saucepan and squeeze a
lemon over them.
 Then put a plate on top of the parcels (to stop the vine
leaves from opening) and add 1.5 cups of boiling
water and bring back to the boil.
 When the water is boiling, lower the heat and cook
until the water has all gone.
 You can serve Yaprak sarması when it is cold enough
by pouring some yoghurt with some garlic sauce.

39. THANKS FOR
YOUR
INTEREST