Beliefs and rituals regarding the transition period of li̇fe: Example of the Niğde Gümüşler town

In this thesis, the belief and rituals of the transition period of the Gümüşler Town of Niğde Province are discussed. Transition periods reveal all the changes and developments experienced by the people over the years. The most important transition processes in human life are birth, marriage and death. Some beliefs and rituals are applied in order to help people to easily adapt to transition processes and pass critical periods comfortably. These beliefs and rituals reflect the cultural structure and moral values of society. The information obtained from the study was compiled according to written and oral sources, analyzed and compared from the past to the present. With in the scope of the research, 30 people, 10 men and 20 women, were interviewed in depth in the Gümüşler Town of Niğde. In the first part of the research, the method, subject, aim, scope and limitations of the research are given. In the second part, the research area was introduced. In the third, fourth and fifth chapters, beliefs and practices birth, marriage and death processes are discussed respectively. In the last chapter, the sixth chapter, the results of the research were evaluated.