While walking to lunch with Erika and our new friend Catherine in Selçuk, Turkey, there came behind us the sound of honking car horns and music. At first, I thought it was young people garnering attention like I see so often at home, but as the procession came closer, I saw a boy dressed all in shimmering white.
I remembered seeing a poster of a similar outfit outside a photo studio in Çanakkale and snapping a photo because I thought it was interesting, now here it was right in front of me.
Young male fashion shoot, Turkish style.
There was a line of cars and people marching behind a pickup truck containing musicians. Immediately behind the truck was the boy astride a horse being led, I assume, by his father.
As the procession continued around the corner and onto the main thoroughfare, what little traffic there was came to a standstill as the celebration expanded to fill most of the street. People – family members I assume – danced and some threw money into the air.
It was fun to witness. If it were not for my complete obliviousness to what was happening, I might have joined in!
Update:
According to Erika and our friend Catherine, each of whom did some research, this was part of a circumcision ceremony which is fairly common in parts of Turkey. Our congratulations to the young man and his family. He seemed quite proud to be the center of attention!
