New Year's Eve in Turkey
New
Year’s Eve is one of the most popular holidays in Turkey. The New
Year’s Eve traditions in this country include a family dinner, a
national lottery drawing and a countdown to midnight. New Year’s Eve
falls on December 31 in the Gregorian calendar.
What Do People Do?
Many people in Turkey start celebrating New Year’s Eve with a large
family dinner. The main course is traditionally a roasted turkey.
Variety shows on television begin in late afternoon and continue until
early morning of the next day. Many people play games while waiting for
the clock to strike midnight. State TV channels announce the winning
numbers of a New Year’s national lottery just before midnight. Many
people in Turkey try to buy a New Year’s lottery ticket because it
promises a large sum of money to the winner. Many people also
congratulate each other, toast to a New Year and exchange small gifts at
midnight between New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Hotels, restaurants and nightclubs offer special entertainment programs
on New Year’s Eve. Most places require early reservations. Some people
go to city centers late on December 31 to watch the traditional
fireworks. New Year’s Eve ends with a countdown to announce the arrival
of a new year, and celebrations continue until the morning of January 1.
Public Life
New Year’s Eve is not an official holiday, although many workers get
half a day off. Administration buildings, schools and post offices may
be closed in the in the afternoon of December 31. Supermarkets may also
close earlier than usual. Many people celebrate New Year’s Eve in city
centers, so traffic may be intense in the evening of December 31.
Background
December 31 became the last day of a calendar year in Turkey in 1926
when this country started using the Gregorian calendar. Turkey and the
Ottoman Empire used a solar-based Islamic calendar (Rumi takvim) prior
to 1926. New Year’s Eve became a popular holiday in Turkey after the
Turkish parliament made January 1 (New Year’s Day) an official holiday
in 1935. Turkey has borrowed many of New Year’s Eve traditions from
western celebrations of Christmas and Thanksgiving during the 1920s and
1930s.
Symbols
The common symbols of New Year’s Eve in Turkey are:
- The New Year’s tree (a decorated fir tree).
- A roasted turkey.
- Images of Noel Baba (the Turkish name for Santa Claus).
These symbols can be seen on New Year’s Eve in Turkey
blogger: Life Style
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