[Diary of an Expat Bride] Dollar Days

A few months after my wedding a Turkish friend of mine invited me to her “gün.” After living in Turkey for several years I was familiar with the gün concept but had yet to attend one personally. Before attending I asked several friends and their mothers how this interesting tradition started in Turkey. “Gün” means day in Turkish. My friend’s mom, Ayşe Teyze, theorized that the concept began before telephones were common in every household. In the past, in her small city near Balıkesir, each woman of the house reserved one day each month where she was home to receive visitors. For example, everyone knew that the 17th of each month was the day to go and see Ayşe Teyze. On her day, Ayşe Teyze would prepare lots of tea, cakes and snacks for the women who would visit her. Since it was a small town, she knew everyone, and it was their way to socialize and catch up on all of the latest news and gossip. Ayşe Teyze would also go and visit each lady in turn on their appointed day.

Perhaps because of the unstable currency or lack of trust in the banks, these social occasions turned into a way for the hostess to save some money. Somewhere along the way a crafty woman suggested that the tight-knit group of women bring a certain amount of either gold or US dollars to the hostess on her given day. This would give the hostess a little nest egg for that month. That woman would then give the same denomination to each woman on her given day, the end result being that she would save a small bit of money. While this might seem confusing, it actually does make sense when you look at what was going on in Turkey when the gün concept originated. Currency given at a gün varies between gold, dollars or euros, but rarely ever Turkish lira. This still reflects the average distrust of the fluctuating lira. Nowadays many women both young and old belong to groups who hold a Dollar or Gold Day despite the fact that everyone has a phone nowadays and the banks in Turkey have been pretty stable since 2001.

My friend Nurten’s group consists of about 10 women who meet the first Saturday of each month at alternating members’ homes. At each meeting, each woman gives the hostess $100. The hostess for that week was my friend Nurten, a young businesswoman. Since almost everyone in the group worked, Saturdays were the most convenient for them. I found it interesting that this tradition which was normally limited to housewives had been able to be modified for the working Turkish woman. I did not contribute to the fund, since I did not belong to the group and would not be able to attend any other woman’s gün as I would be moving soon. However, I made chocolate chip cookies and banana bread to bring and help Nurten serve. At the Dollar Day it was as if time had stood still and we were once again in the age where there were no telephones to stay in constant contact. Two teapots simmered constantly on the stove in Nurten’s kitchen, and trays in the living room were weighted down with stuffed grape leaves, various börek and several cakes. Although these women worked and had families with children, everything on the table was homemade. The women were very friendly and chatted and gossiped as the afternoon wore on.

I was impressed by how effortlessly Nurten managed the job as hostess. I always feel stressed when I have visitors, making a concentrated effort at keeping tea glasses and plates full, then making cups of coffee. With Nurten, she managed the same tasks, but effortlessly and like it was second nature. After a few hours the women started to leave since it was Saturday and many of them had commitments with their families on one of their two days off. Nurten informed me that if they were able to meet during the week, the gün would probably last longer.

In an envelope in the kitchen Nurten counted out the $1,000 that was hers for hosting that month. I asked her what she would do with it. She told me that if she saved it and gave $100 each month to each other woman on her Dollar Day, she would break even and come out with exactly the $100 that she had originally invested, no more no less. While this might seem crazy to us foreigners, it’s easy to see how such a system was advantageous in the days before credit was easy to get. Let’s say that Nurten’s salary was OK but didn’t provide much room for extras. She needs a new refrigerator, but unlike today’s world, credit and monthly payments are not an option. She could take the cash from her Dollar Day and buy the refrigerator and pay her friends “back” in reasonable monthly installments. While this concept doesn’t seem necessary in today’s world, it’s not easy to forget the financial crisis in 2001 when so many Turkish people lost their entire savings overnight. Dollar or gold days are a tried and true tradition, and have lasted over the span of many different crises both political and financial. If you are ever invited to attend one as a guest, I highly recommend observing this fascinating tradition. If you plan to stay in Turkey long term and are invited to join one, make sure you are aware of the long-term commitment it will take. For example, if you can’t make it to one woman’s day, make sure you get the money owed to her regardless.