This past weekend we celebrated Ramadan Bayram, also known as Eid al-Fitr. Arguably the most highly anticipated time of the year for most Turks as it follows the 30-day dawn-to-dusk fast for the holy month of Ramadan, not only does this three-day holiday, which this year ran from Friday, April 21 to Sunday, April 23, celebrate the end of the monthlong fast, but it is also the first of the country and the Muslim world’s two longest holidays. This means that many people in Türkiye use the opportunity to take a well-deserved vacation, while those that may not most likely pay visits to family members as per this holiday’s tradition.

During this holiday, starting with the most senior member of the family, people paid visits and had sweet treats and gifted children candies and even pocket money. In most areas, as per tradition, children – similar in a sense to the West’s Halloween – went door-to-door, where most folks have individually wrapped chocolates and candies easily at their disposal for reciprocating when they hear a knock on the door from a young one.

Coinciding with April 23, the past Sunday was also National Sovereignty and Children's Day in Türkiye, which celebrated the founding of Türkiye's Grand National Assembly. Declared in 1921, Türkiye was the first country to devote a holiday to children. Traditionally celebrated with parades and various school showcases, another interesting custom on this day was that children ceremonially took over positions held by high-ranking state officials.

Pros, cons of holidays

As per another custom of Eid holidays and other national vacations in Türkiye, most public transportation was free. This is to allow people to easily pay visits to their family members at home and their beloved ones in cemeteries. This means that while most cities are admittedly less crowded during these officially designated days off for most businesses and all public institutions, they weren't necessarily less chaotic. This is because many people took advantage of the free transportation option and crowds-cum-queues could still be seen. In addition, while many businesses remained shut throughout the weekend, a number were still open and especially tended to reopen following the first day of the break. This meant that over the weekend, many shops were open, but because they were fewer in number than usual, they were also busy and with less staff on hand to help customers.

Dark side of bayram

As can be expected, Türkiye's vacation destinations were packed this holiday weekend, which for many touristic coastal towns coincided with the start of the summer season. This meant available accommodation was scarce and prices were at their highest. But, the worst part of the elongated national holiday in Türkiye is undoubtedly the traffic on roads, especially on the first and last days of the holiday and on highways in and out of the big cities. The traffic can be so bad that those who have experienced it before tend to actually cut their holidays short simply to avoid it. Not only are the hourslong delays on roads a source of news headlines, but unfortunately the startling number of accidents that transpire can also be something to gawk in shock at. Therefore, it is vital that people traveling by car here in Türkiye be extremely cautious and remain calm and composed where people's safety is concerned. So, here are two tips to keep your cool in Türkiye.

Practice patience, compassion

While being patient and compassionate for others is a good practice at any time of the year, they are virtues that will be especially helpful to draw upon as this week and weekend will continue to witness increased traffic. They are also attributes to stick to in holidays to come. Keep in mind that people have been fasting for an entire month leading up to this weekend, never mind the fact that many have worked all year in anticipation of these few days off, which may also coincide with their annual holiday. This means they may be more rushed than usual to access the seaside or parks and relax and find tables at restaurants and sunbeds at beaches.

Chances are people scouted out spots for themselves and family members and thus the pressure to please and accommodate was multifold. If others seemed impatient and expressed it through honking, it is better not to react to their audacity. First stop and consider the possibility that they may truly have an urgent need to rush such as health or safety concerns and yet may also be contending with crowds on the streets. In other words, give people the benefit of the doubt before making a scene that could sour a part of their highly anticipated holiday.

'You' are never 'right'

Have you ever noticed that there is no inherently Turkish word for the English equivalent of "Excuse me." Yes, you will hear the phrase "Pardon" passed around with ease, but as the word suggests this is a French word used to make up a concept that simply doesn't exist in Türkiye in the same way as it does in other Western countries. Similarly, sarcasm is also lost in translation here. Many will have noticed the lack of personal space offered in public transportation and crowded roads and may feel that their given rights are being violated here. But that is just not the case, the Turks have a different sort of mindset when it comes to standing close and especially in lines and we, as foreigners, need to understand that this is just their way of life and what we believe to be the "right" way of doing things may simply not be the case here.

In a similar vein, jumping down someone's throat for blocking your way with their car, double-parking, banging into you, taking your place in line or any other similar sort of social rule we are used to in the West, may not be interpreted similarly in Türkiye, wherein keeping peace in the community is prioritized much more than satisfying an individual’s personal needs. If you get upset at people for what you assume to be your "right" as for how to act in public or at poor service or a lack of service by businesses due to holiday delays, chances are you will always be in the wrong for disturbing the peace at what should be a sacred time for most. The law of the land here is that standing up for what works best for the "community" will always come first before any individual’s personal wants or needs.