For most Turks, especially youngsters, Ramadan means joy and wonderful, special dishes. Mothers tell children Ramadan will arrive 10 days earlier the next year if they behave properly. Following the lunar calendar, Ramadan does not have a set season and actually moves 10 to 11 days each year, so the traditions of Ramadan food change in each region of the Muslim world with the availability of seasonal products in different climates.

In Turkey, almost every city has its own Ramadan specialties for the main course, but there are unique features to observe only during this holy month wherever you travel in the country. On the first night of Ramadan, if you are near a mosque, you will see worshipers rushing for nighttime prayers and you may observe the "mahya," a lighted banner hung between two minarets of a mosque that welcomes Ramadan. The tradition of the mahya dates back to the early 1600s. Decorated with bright and high-tech lights in bigger modern mosques, they are unmissable.

On the next day, you will most likely observe that your local bakery is closed. Bread makers, who traditionally work in the wee hours of the morning, will have to wait for the late afternoon. Just before sunset, at the time for iftar, you may observe people lining up in front of the bakeries to purchase the special Ramadan bread called "pide." Although in English the bread is known as "pita," Turkish pide is different from regular unleavened flat pita bread. Rather, it resembles the Armenian bread "matnakash" and is made from wheat flour and yeast. It rises but does not puff, as the master bakers make fine designs with knives or fingers on the round dough to make little pockets. After this point, in its simplest and the most common form, the pide is baked in the oven and then sold, ideally steaming hot with a paper wrapping to protect the customer's fingers. One of the most pleasant memories of a childhood in Turkey might be nibbling on piping hot pide while bringing it home for iftar. In residential neighborhoods, you can still witness this pleasant scene, as small children are not required to fast.

There are also fancier forms of pide, if you are willing to pay a little more. A baker may add eggs and sesame seeds for an extra charge. Pide is versatile, depending on the region and the creativity of the patisserie. Cheese, meat, dates and sugar are all frequently used to decorate the pide.