Bocuk Night: A Turkish Halloween

Bocuk Night, also known as Turkey's Halloween, has a long history. This colorful tradition is one of the important parts of Turkish culture. So how did Bocuk Night come about, and what is being done on this night? We talked about Bocuk Night for you.

Bocuk Night is held every year in Çamlıca village of Edirne Keşan district. Tens of thousands of people flock to the village for this 'fearful' night. Although it is likened to Halloween, Bocuk Night is an old Balkan tradition. Bocuk night, known as the night of fear, is held every year in winter, during the coldest week of winter. Bocuk Night is a thousand-year-old Balkan tradition. It is believed that the mysterious creature called Bocuk walks around in the form of a human in white.

On Bocuk Night, zucchini is cooked in every house. Corn, pear, quince, kernels, and almonds boiled in snow water and peanuts and walnuts baked in the oven are the traditional dishes of Bocuk night. There's a reason zucchini is cooked tonight. It is believed that the being called "Bocuk" walks around in white and in human appearance and that the "Bocuk woman" will not come to the house where the zucchini is cooked and do evil. The villagers, who wrap themselves in sheets and paint their faces, scare their neighbors by saying 'Bocuk is coming'.

It is believed that Bocuk Night is the symbol of the coldest night in winter. According to the common belief, if the wood thrown into the water tonight is found frozen on the water in the morning, the people in that house will be healthy and strong throughout the year.

In Bocuk Night, which is welcomed by cooking pumpkins, while many people spend the night by staying out of the street or gathering in a neighbor's house they have agreed on, those who go out on the street plan to catch Bocuk with the straw ropes they carry with them.

Every year, the municipality and various organizations make great preparations for the Bocuk Night events.

History of Bocuk Night

Muslims and Christians living together in the Balkans a thousand years ago developed a tradition not to be afraid of the cold and evil. While Muslims were eating pumpkin pie that night, Christians were eating pork. There was a common life and a common tradition; however, the food is different. This tradition has continued to the present day.