Births
The continuity of a family is provided by children. With the development of people’s educational levels, the belief in the continuity only being provided by sons is losing its effect.
At the pregnancy of a new daughter in-law, an excitement among family members grows. Upon hearing the good news, a golden bracelet comes immediately as a present from the mother-in-law. In rural areas a pregnant woman declares it with some symbols mostly on her clothing; her scarf, motifs on it and suchlike. In tradition, The woman near parent in-laws and husband has to be shy and not to talk a lot. Therefore, she was showing her pregnancy or births with symbols.
For the births,
In rural places midwives are present, whereas in big cities hospitals are common. After the birth, the new mother receives presents of gold and the child gets all manner of gifts. The mother is not supposed to go out from her house for 40 days. If she works, she has a holiday of 40 days automatically. Relatives, friends and neighbors are all helpful. In the first three days only close relatives come to visit, but in the following days the others also come to visit with lots of presents. Breast-feeding continues normally until the age of two or even later and then weaning is sudden.
Customs in Anatolia
In Anatolia there is a custom of planting trees in the names of newly born children (births) Chestnut, mulberry and apple trees are planted for girls, poplar or pine trees for boys. Planting trees for boys is a kind of investment for him to be used in his marriage when he grows up.
Also another tradition in births is burying funiculus at the specific places such as garden of schools, mosques, homes. We believe that if we bury in school garden, he will be fond of books and has successful education life. Others have similar purposes too.
Also Mostly in local places, couples prefer to give the name of parent names to their children. So There are millions of Mehmet Ahmet, Ayse in Turkey.