Cyprus-Forum.com

[Tim Drayton]

For example:

From Patterns of Cypriot Identity or Why Cypriotism doesn't exist
by Jan Asmussen, Assistant Professor at the Department of History of the Eastern
Mediterranean University, Famagusta.

http://dzforum.de/downloads/020101007.pdf

The Greek-Orthodox Christians had 23 different religious feasts. Apart from the general Christian feasts, like Christmas and Easter, local "Holy figures" and the Saints of the village churches were celebrated. The Muslims celebrated special feast during nine days every year (Ramazan, Seker Bayrami, Kurban Bayrami, Mevlid und Namaz).
Religious feasts were far from being a separate ethnical affair. Turkish Cypriots joined the celebrations conducted around Christmas and Easter while Greek Cypriots were invited to have Bayram cakes by their Muslim neighbours.
It was quite common amongst the Cypriots and especially the villagers to venerate Muslim and Christian shrines alike. This sort of practise continued in many villages, even during the 1950's, despite the fact that the newly appointed Archbishop had held a plebiscite for Enosis, and that the EOKA struggle had started.(15)
An originally Christian feast, the Feast of Mother Mary (Panajiri), became so popular that it actually merged into a non-religious village feast held all over Cyprus. Both communities equally took part in it and the Turkish Cypriots even adopted it in solely Muslim villages under the name "Panayir".
During these and other village feasts, which were conducted on the occasion of the harvest and family events (especially marriages), the rich song and dance culture of Cyprus flourished. Identical dances which carried both Greek and Turkish names were conducted.For example the Karshilima/Karchilamas dances: the Birinci, Ikinci, Üçüncü, Dördüncü or Brodos, Thefteras, Tritos, Deftertos (first, second, third, forth). In addition, versions of the following dances were to be found in Cyprus: Sirto/Sirtos, Mandira/Mandra, Arabiye/Arabiyes, Zeybek/Zeybekiko, Susta/Sustahs, Garrotsari/Karrotseris, Çifteelli/Chiftellis and the butchers' dance Kasap oyunu/ Kasabiko.(16)

[Oracle]

not in morphou.

Why was Morphou different?

Normal people too busy with growing citrus. Even on the towns saint day Ayios Mamas, the TC's would also pay their respects in his name.

Sounds like the exception to the rule. Pity about that. If that sentiment was more widespread, there would never have been a Cyprus problem.

By what authority can you (having never been to Cyprus) know what day to day life was like, such that you have formulated "rules"enough to think your "rules" are more reflective than someone whose whole family lived and live in Cyprus?

[boomerang]

not in morphou.

Why was Morphou different?

Normal people too busy with growing citrus. Even on the towns saint day Ayios Mamas, the TC's would also pay their respects in his name.

Sounds like the exception to the rule. Pity about that. If that sentiment was more widespread, there would never have been a Cyprus problem.

By what authority can you (having never been to Cyprus) know what day to day life was like, such that you have formulated "rules"enough to think your "rules" are more reflective than someone whose whole family lived and live in Cyprus?

don't worry about comicalexpat...he is mesmerized by donkeytosh's man boobs...

[denizaksulu]

For example:

From Patterns of Cypriot Identity or Why Cypriotism doesn't exist
by Jan Asmussen, Assistant Professor at the Department of History of the Eastern
Mediterranean University, Famagusta.

http://dzforum.de/downloads/020101007.pdf

The Greek-Orthodox Christians had 23 different religious feasts. Apart from the general Christian feasts, like Christmas and Easter, local "Holy figures" and the Saints of the village churches were celebrated. The Muslims celebrated special feast during nine days every year (Ramazan, Seker Bayrami, Kurban Bayrami, Mevlid und Namaz).
Religious feasts were far from being a separate ethnical affair. Turkish Cypriots joined the celebrations conducted around Christmas and Easter while Greek Cypriots were invited to have Bayram cakes by their Muslim neighbours.
It was quite common amongst the Cypriots and especially the villagers to venerate Muslim and Christian shrines alike. This sort of practise continued in many villages, even during the 1950's, despite the fact that the newly appointed Archbishop had held a plebiscite for Enosis, and that the EOKA struggle had started.(15)
An originally Christian feast, the Feast of Mother Mary (Panajiri), became so popular that it actually merged into a non-religious village feast held all over Cyprus. Both communities equally took part in it and the Turkish Cypriots even adopted it in solely Muslim villages under the name "Panayir".
During these and other village feasts, which were conducted on the occasion of the harvest and family events (especially marriages), the rich song and dance culture of Cyprus flourished. Identical dances which carried both Greek and Turkish names were conducted.For example the Karshilima/Karchilamas dances: the Birinci, Ikinci, Üçüncü, Dördüncü or Brodos, Thefteras, Tritos, Deftertos (first, second, third, forth). In addition, versions of the following dances were to be found in Cyprus: Sirto/Sirtos, Mandira/Mandra, Arabiye/Arabiyes, Zeybek/Zeybekiko, Susta/Sustahs, Garrotsari/Karrotseris, Çifteelli/Chiftellis and the butchers' dance Kasap oyunu/ Kasabiko.(16)

Very true for the period prior to 1963. Seen and listened to all the wedding songs sung in Greek ant Turkish weddings. Invitations at Easter, candles given as well as easter eggs. Sweets passed around between Greek and urkish neighbours. As a kid I saw no difference apart from a differing language. About that I am not so sure either. We communicated somhow and hunted together. We did have a common language.
I can not talk after 1963, as I was separated forever from village life.

[boomerang]

even after 63...it depended were you lived...i remember as a young child playing everyday with tc children...a forum member helped me track down one individual...

[Tim Drayton]

For example:

From Patterns of Cypriot Identity or Why Cypriotism doesn't exist
by Jan Asmussen, Assistant Professor at the Department of History of the Eastern
Mediterranean University, Famagusta.

http://dzforum.de/downloads/020101007.pdf

The Greek-Orthodox Christians had 23 different religious feasts. Apart from the general Christian feasts, like Christmas and Easter, local "Holy figures" and the Saints of the village churches were celebrated. The Muslims celebrated special feast during nine days every year (Ramazan, Seker Bayrami, Kurban Bayrami, Mevlid und Namaz).
Religious feasts were far from being a separate ethnical affair. Turkish Cypriots joined the celebrations conducted around Christmas and Easter while Greek Cypriots were invited to have Bayram cakes by their Muslim neighbours.
It was quite common amongst the Cypriots and especially the villagers to venerate Muslim and Christian shrines alike. This sort of practise continued in many villages, even during the 1950's, despite the fact that the newly appointed Archbishop had held a plebiscite for Enosis, and that the EOKA struggle had started.(15)
An originally Christian feast, the Feast of Mother Mary (Panajiri), became so popular that it actually merged into a non-religious village feast held all over Cyprus. Both communities equally took part in it and the Turkish Cypriots even adopted it in solely Muslim villages under the name "Panayir".
During these and other village feasts, which were conducted on the occasion of the harvest and family events (especially marriages), the rich song and dance culture of Cyprus flourished. Identical dances which carried both Greek and Turkish names were conducted.For example the Karshilima/Karchilamas dances: the Birinci, Ikinci, Üçüncü, Dördüncü or Brodos, Thefteras, Tritos, Deftertos (first, second, third, forth). In addition, versions of the following dances were to be found in Cyprus: Sirto/Sirtos, Mandira/Mandra, Arabiye/Arabiyes, Zeybek/Zeybekiko, Susta/Sustahs, Garrotsari/Karrotseris, Çifteelli/Chiftellis and the butchers' dance Kasap oyunu/ Kasabiko.(16)

Very true for the period prior to 1963. Seen and listened to all the wedding songs sung in Greek ant Turkish weddings. Invitations at Easter, candles given as well as easter eggs. Sweets passed around between Greek and urkish neighbours. As a kid I saw no difference apart from a differing language. About that I am not so sure either. We communicated somhow and hunted together. We did have a common language.
I can not talk after 1963, as I was separated forever from village life.

Did you feel that there was one village community, or two separate communities within the village, in those days?

[denizaksulu]

For example:

From Patterns of Cypriot Identity or Why Cypriotism doesn't exist
by Jan Asmussen, Assistant Professor at the Department of History of the Eastern
Mediterranean University, Famagusta.

http://dzforum.de/downloads/020101007.pdf

The Greek-Orthodox Christians had 23 different religious feasts. Apart from the general Christian feasts, like Christmas and Easter, local "Holy figures" and the Saints of the village churches were celebrated. The Muslims celebrated special feast during nine days every year (Ramazan, Seker Bayrami, Kurban Bayrami, Mevlid und Namaz).
Religious feasts were far from being a separate ethnical affair. Turkish Cypriots joined the celebrations conducted around Christmas and Easter while Greek Cypriots were invited to have Bayram cakes by their Muslim neighbours.
It was quite common amongst the Cypriots and especially the villagers to venerate Muslim and Christian shrines alike. This sort of practise continued in many villages, even during the 1950's, despite the fact that the newly appointed Archbishop had held a plebiscite for Enosis, and that the EOKA struggle had started.(15)
An originally Christian feast, the Feast of Mother Mary (Panajiri), became so popular that it actually merged into a non-religious village feast held all over Cyprus. Both communities equally took part in it and the Turkish Cypriots even adopted it in solely Muslim villages under the name "Panayir".
During these and other village feasts, which were conducted on the occasion of the harvest and family events (especially marriages), the rich song and dance culture of Cyprus flourished. Identical dances which carried both Greek and Turkish names were conducted.For example the Karshilima/Karchilamas dances: the Birinci, Ikinci, Üçüncü, Dördüncü or Brodos, Thefteras, Tritos, Deftertos (first, second, third, forth). In addition, versions of the following dances were to be found in Cyprus: Sirto/Sirtos, Mandira/Mandra, Arabiye/Arabiyes, Zeybek/Zeybekiko, Susta/Sustahs, Garrotsari/Karrotseris, Çifteelli/Chiftellis and the butchers' dance Kasap oyunu/ Kasabiko.(16)

Very true for the period prior to 1963. Seen and listened to all the wedding songs sung in Greek ant Turkish weddings. Invitations at Easter, candles given as well as easter eggs. Sweets passed around between Greek and urkish neighbours. As a kid I saw no difference apart from a differing language. About that I am not so sure either. We communicated somhow and hunted together. We did have a common language.
I can not talk after 1963, as I was separated forever from village life.

Did you feel that there was one village community, or two separate communities within the village, in those days?

Bear in mind that I was 18 when I last lived there. I stayed in Nicosia while attending the Lycee. In Kato Anglissidhes we were as one community. The majority were Greeks. A number of them were related to us, through conversion at some stage. They spoke Turkish fluently. Till I was 15 everything was hunky dory. After that, some of the GC boys would refuse to speak to us TCs. Thats when they began calling us 'bellos Turkos'. These were the boys who left primary education in the village and were attending the Gymnasia and American Academy in Larnaka. Mostly things were cordial.

There had been trouble with the TMT during the 'Turkten Turke Campaign'; when we were ordered not to speak to Greeks in the village.

Pano Anglissidhes was totally Greek. Kato Angl. was as I said. For some reason it was decided that the Moukhtar was to be Turkish. I remember doing all the paperwork for my grandfather who spoke and wrote Greek and Ottoman Turkish but not the modern Turkish. How could my grandfather not communicate with Greek villagers. Ofcourse my grandfather was the first TMT victim of our village. He was warned by an arson attack. So was his neighbour. They still ignored the warnings.

[Expatkiwi]

By what authority can you (having never been to Cyprus) know what day to day life was like, such that you have formulated "rules"enough to think your "rules" are more reflective than someone whose whole family lived and live in Cyprus?

By the authority of drawing conclusions from news reports and articles written about Cyprus: Where TC's and GC's went out of their way to stay apart from each other... something that probably suits you.

[Oracle]

By what authority can you (having never been to Cyprus) know what day to day life was like, such that you have formulated "rules"enough to think your "rules" are more reflective than someone whose whole family lived and live in Cyprus?

By the authority of drawing conclusions from news reports and articles written about Cyprus: Where TC's and GC's went out of their way to stay apart from each other... something that probably suits you.

In that case you need to supply the evidence you drew from. Unless it's personal experience (for example, see Deniz's reply above), then you need to qualify your statements .... or leave them out.

A little more rigour please, since you are an outsider Expat.

[denizaksulu]

By what authority can you (having never been to Cyprus) know what day to day life was like, such that you have formulated "rules"enough to think your "rules" are more reflective than someone whose whole family lived and live in Cyprus?

By the authority of drawing conclusions from news reports and articles written about Cyprus: Where TC's and GC's went out of their way to stay apart from each other... something that probably suits you.

In that case you need to supply the evidence you drew from. Unless it's personal experience (for example, see Deniz's reply above), then you need to qualify your statements .... or leave them out.

A little more rigour please, since you are an outsider Expat.

Outsider? What outsider? I doubt it. He knows more than the average TC. He is no outsider.