Before I changed teams and moved from Istanbul to Mersin, I spent a beautiful off-day in Kadikoy with my former teammates. We planned the day around visiting what our friend told us was a “Christmas Market.” I had to write an accommodating post for this video because, as you will see, it was not a market at all; it was a shop, haha.
If you’ve ever been to Europe during the holidays, you’re likely aware of the beautiful Christmas markets that pop up in the center of their towns and major cities. Well, Turkey is a predominantly Muslim country. Although they decorate with what I view as traditional Christmas decor, the decorations celebrate the New Year. When we heard “Christmas market,” naturally, our jingle bell minds expected an imitation of those European markets. Instead, we found ourselves in a meme-able case of “what we asked for vs. what we got.” Throw in the unusually warm winter weather, and it just wasn’t Christmasing the way other Christmases have Christmased.
Despite falling short of our expectations, you’ll see that we still enjoyed the brief nostalgia of the bakery very much. Surprisingly, I returned to my apartment after this experience with an overwhelming feeling of gratitude. May we always remember to appreciate the little things.
Happy new year,
Jas
