TIL the 500-year-old tradition of Turkish coffee reading (kahve falı) started in the Ottoman harem not just as magic, but as a clever social loophole. Women used the "fortunes" in the cups as a safe…

https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/turkish-coffee-culture-and-tradition-00645

TIL the 500-year-old tradition of Turkish coffee reading (kahve falı) started in the Ottoman harem not just as magic, but as a clever social loophole. Women used the "fortunes" in the cups as a safe excuse to gossip, vent, and talk about taboo subjects without getting in trouble.

43 points · 4 comments · view on lemmy.world

4 Comments

velma@sh.itjust.works · 18 pts · 28d

Why does anyone think gossip and witchcraft got such bad reputations?

Women used gossip to keep each other informed and safe.

DrakeAlbrecht@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 28d (2 replies)

You might have meant to link a different article. All it says on the subject is:

The grounds left in the empty cup are often used to tell a person’s fortune.

wjrii@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 28d

That's probably because it's a repost of a reddit slop account. Link if you're feeling brave and indignant.

egrets@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 28d

It also says that coffee drinking is a means to socialize, but not with any context around fortunes or a backchannel to avoid patriarchy -- maybe a misunderstanding?

An invitation for coffee among friends provides an opportunity for intimate talk and the sharing of daily concerns.