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A simple date, "April 23" (23 Nisan), means a lot to the Turkish people. It immediately brings joy and fond memories of childhood celebrations, as this date has been most important and festive for the children across Turkey since the early 1920s. Begun by the founder of modern Turkey, the much-loved leader Kemal Ataturk, it is celebrated as "National Sovereignty and Children's Day."
From my own
childhood, I remember the excitement in the air-of children, of
parents, of teachers, of the whole nation-on every April 23. Everyone
would wear their best outfits, recite poems, sing songs together,
listen to speeches about the importance of this day, and about national
history, watch the parades, place roses around Ataturk statues,
wave flags, remember and celebrate all day.
As the years went by, Children's Day has come to be celebrated on a wider and wider scale. UNICEF now recognizes April 23 as International Children's Day. During the week of April 23, Turkey hosts many guest children from all countries, honours them as the future of the world and organizes festive celebrations to embrace peace and harmony together.
The 91st Children's Day was celebrated in Vancouver on April 23, 2011, organized as usual by the Turkish Canadian Society. It was most delightful. The event coordinator Cagri (Chara) Berk, the 2011 executive board and the volunteers achieved a wonderful result. The festival was a great success. Everybody who attended shared the pure and sincere joy and the positive energy in the air. Seeing all the happy little faces was so rewarding.
The multicultural stage performances included the Turkish Folkloric Dance Group, Asena Dery (solo piano performance), Safak Karaca & His Kids (music performance), Nazde Edeer (guitar recital), Eire Born (Irish dancers), Azra (Bosnian Youth Cultural Society) and the Prolet Bulgarian Dancers.
The children's performances were heart-warming and breathtaking. The skilful and effective MCs of the event were Nazde Edeer and Cagla Altintas. Face painting was very popular among the young participants. Yesim Kara Ardal, Eylem Sonmez, Ozge Goktepe, Ecem Kok and Meltem Nigiz helped these little guests realize their dreams.
I really liked the few additions to this year's festival. Ceramic plates hands painted by Turkish-Canadian children prior to the event were on sale, with the proceeds going to the BC Children's Hospital Foundation. They were beautifully done. The most impressive display of the day was about the great leader Kemal Ataturk. Demet Edeer and Gul Ozgur were in charge of this section. Many people elected to pose in front of this display for photos. There was also a photography corner where a souvenir photo was taken, with the print given immediately. A small educational game of simple multiple-choice questions, with an award at the end, was also a welcome new feature.
Basic circus skill workshops, followed by a clown who worked with balloons, further pleased the children who attended. A table featuring tasty Turkish baked goods was organized and staffed by Fatma and Mehmet Telli, helped by Dursun and Wendy Ay. The event, in one word, was delightful, with a perfect balance of arts, crafts, performances, games, fun and good old socializing. Introducing the Ataturk display was a very valuable and much-needed contribution.
Congratulations to the 2011 TCS executive board-Guler Aylar, Mediha Tarim Sener, Vahap Ugras, Buket Sendemir, Sahende Peker, Volker Bodegom, Adem Aygun, Hakan Eres, Guner Karatekin and Murat Vardar-for the success of this year's event. For the first time, sponsors were sought for the event, and the campaign was very successful. Apart from RBC and Telus, many small local Turkish-Canadian businesses supported the festival, predominantly cafes and markets such as Moon Star Bistro Café, Lara Cuisine Turkish Food, Café Vancouver, Waves Café Yaletown, A la Turca Market and Deli, Waves Café Robson, Uncle Fatih's Pizza, and Divan Kitchen. Mediterranean Specialty Foods, ECO Moving and Storage Inc, Metrotown Flooring Centre, Pera College and Mavi Jeans also contributed. Individual sponsors included Honorary Consul Mehmet Sezginalp, Dr. Attila Ketene, Dr. Bahar Cinarli, Erol Karacabeyli, Hakan Eres, Mehmet Telli, Nilufer Tarkan, Buket Sendemir, Murat Vardar, Adem Aygun, Mediha Tarim Sener and Demet Badrasoglu.
Special congratulations to the 2011 TCS president, Guler Aylar, for also receiving the RBC "Community Spirit Award," which was accompanied by a $1000 donation from RBC to TCS. Lastly very special congratulations to our talented actor Cagri (Chara) Berk for organizing this successful event with love and an artistic touch, and who also, with her cat costume, added to the joy of the children. Long live April
23, long live International Children's Day! By Bahar Çinarli Pictures by Bahar Çinarli and Volker Bodegom May 2011 Old Articles
by Bahar Cinarli: |
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On
April 23, 1920, during Turkey's War of Independence, the nation's
new Grand National Assembly met in Ankara and began the process
of forging a new, independent, secular and modern republic from
what was left of the moribund Ottoman Empire. Ataturk later dedicated
this important day to children to emphasize that children are the
future of the new nation. This was the first national holiday in
the world dedicated to children.
Since
its founding in 1963, the Turkish Canadian Society (TCS) in Vancouver
has been celebrating this wonderful day here in Canada. The small
number of Turkish immigrants originally in Vancouver began by celebrating
this important day with relatively simple gatherings, but it was
never forgotten. Over the last ten years, with more and more immigrants
from Turkey making Canada their new homeland, the April 23 celebration
has broadened in scale to become a joyful multicultural children's
festival.
