As I've been walking around Istanbul this week I've noticed easily a dozen young boys dressed in all white suits with feather-trimmed capes, maces and hats. These outfits are often trimmed in gold or silver. They look like a cross between the Beatles' Sargent Peppers costumes, Liberace, and what I imagine St. Peter wears to welcome people at the Pearly Gates.
While at dinner last night I asked my friends who live in Turkey why so many boys were all dressed up. My friend casually told me that they were circumcision outfits. Muslim boys are not circumcised until they are between the ages of 7-10 (though some boys looked as young as 5). After consulting various sites on the Web I also learned that the circumcision represents the transition from childhood to adulthood. The boys notonly get a sweet white outfit, they also get gifts from family and friends at a big party held in their honor.
I guess it's similar to a bar mitzvah in Jewish culture, except a bar mitzvah doesn't include a little snip snip before the party can start.
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