Turkey RPCV Sandy Anderson writes: Christmas in Turkey



I spent my first Christmas away from home in Turkey, a Muslim country. It was 1966, and I wrote home: I’m getting kind of excited for Christmas; although there’s some homesickness mixed in. In this land where there’s no external stimulation for the season from store windows, you have to conjure up your own enthusiasm. And we’ve done a pretty good job, if you can accept a Russian rubber tree plant for a Christmas tree — with one bright green package under it. That package was from my mother. My Peace Corps roommates and I made the best of it. Our Christmas tree was decorated with cardboard circles covered in tinfoil to look like ornamental balls and a garland made of wrapped candy and string. Christmas cards from Turks and family adorned the window nearby.

Turkey RPCV Sandy Anderson writes: Christmas in Turkey

The Season’s Best Gift

The Traditions We Share

by the Bay Weekly Family

[Excerpt]

Christmas in a Foreign Land

I spent my first Christmas away from home in Turkey, a Muslim country. It was 1966, and I wrote home: I’m getting kind of excited for Christmas; although there’s some homesickness mixed in. In this land where there’s no external stimulation for the season from store windows, you have to conjure up your own enthusiasm. And we’ve done a pretty good job, if you can accept a Russian rubber tree plant for a Christmas tree — with one bright green package under it.

That package was from my mother.

My Peace Corps roommates and I made the best of it. Our Christmas tree was decorated with cardboard circles covered in tinfoil to look like ornamental balls and a garland made of wrapped candy and string. Christmas cards from Turks and family adorned the window nearby.

We took care not to include any religious symbols and invited our fellow Turkish teachers and students over for punch and cookies. I gave a party for girls in my night course to show them Christmas, their Father Noel day, since Saint Nicholas was from Turkey. We played bingo, and I gave Little Lulu comic books for prizes. We sang and listened to Christmas carols.

A Christmas tree and sharing the joy of Christmas with others ended up being what mattered. To help me feel close to home, under the tree was my one gift, wrapped in shiny green paper.

–Sandy Anderson

Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: December, 2007; Peace Corps Turkey; Directory of Turkey RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Turkey RPCVs; Christmas; Holidays

When this story was posted in December 2008, this was on the front page of PCOL:




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

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