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.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 11 points 11 hours ago

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

Women used gossip to keep each other informed and safe.

  • source