Where Are the Old Ramadans?

Where Are the Old Ramadans?

With the arrival of the month of Ramadan, how often do we hear this phrase from our elders, right? Nostalgia for the past emerges once again during iftar dinners and sahur conversations. In stories that begin with “In our time…” the beauty of those days is reminisced.

What has been lost, diminished, or reduced as we moved from those days to today? What is it that is so deeply missed?

Is it now so hard to be together as a family? Have the evenings where the family gathered around a table and started the first meal of the day with a bowl of soup alongside conversations and stories become scarce? Do we miss the days when grandfathers would eagerly share the story of the double-roasted pistachio lokum while sipping their coffee? Where are the children who used to listen with such enthusiasm, eyes fixed on the lokum beside the coffee, as if saying “we want some too, we want some too”?

First and foremost, we must acknowledge: we are very fortunate. We have many regulars who bring two generations together. Children who once came holding their grandparents' hands now bring their own children. A generation is growing up knowing akide, rooster candy, almond paste, and tahini helva. If they don't like almond paste, they enjoy marzipan; if they don't like akide, they adore candy canes. The children of parents who never miss tamarind sherbet at their iftar tables now drink sherbets made from currants and blackberries.

By bringing what we inherited from the past into the present, with our akide, almond paste, marzipan, and lokum, we become guests at the tables. With our experiences and the experiences we provide from yesterday to today, we contribute to conversations and writings. If we can remind and revive the forgotten, sought-after, and missed elements of Ramadan, from decorations to games, from Karagöz and Hacivat to Ramadan conversations, then we are truly happy! As long as we have our loyal patrons whose eyes light up with joy when they say, "Look, we also got the chocolate ones for you," while breaking their fast with dates, we will always fondly remember those old Ramadans.