Turkish Holidays

January 1 – Yılbaşı

January 1 – New Year (Yılbaşı)

The first day of the New Year is a public holiday in Turkey. After a long and fun night, people spend a relatively calm and slow day on January 1st. Most shops and restaurants are closed for the day, although some open in the afternoon. 

March 21 – Nevruz

Nowruz

Nowruz is essentially a day when the arrival of spring is celebrated and welcomed with enthusiasm. On March 21, when day and night are equalized, the weather begins to warm up, the snow melts, the trees begin to blossom and the soil begins to green. On Nowruz, graveyards are visited, fires are lit and jumped over, eggs are dyed and clinked, the Nevruz table is set, special soups known as ‘köje’, ‘köjö’, ‘köcö’ are prepared, wrestling and horse races are organized, epics, parables and stories are told.

Jan 1 – Üç Aylar Başlangıcı

Jan 1 – Beginning of Three Months

It is a three-month period of religious sensitivity and worship that begins three months before Eid (Ramadan) and extends through the month of Ramadan.  This period also includes the nights that are considered blessed and celebrated by Muslims (Kandil nights). Some Muslims fast and pray during the three months and cook special foods and desserts to share with neighbors and acquaintances. 

March 30 – April 1 Ramazan Bayramı

Ramazan

It is a religious holiday celebrated for three days after Ramadan, the month of fasting in the Islamic world. On the first day of Eid al-Fitr, Eid prayers are held in mosques, usually performed by men. During Eid, Muslims celebrate Eid with visits to friends and relatives. Cologne, sweets and candies are usually offered during these visits. During Eid, which is usually celebrated with a long nine-day holiday in Turkey, official institutions are closed. Most shops and restaurants start opening from the second day of Eid.

April 23 – Ulusal Egemenlik ve Çocuk Bayramı

National Sovereignty and Children’s Day

April 23, 1920 was the day the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, representing the national will of the Turkish nation, was inaugurated. That is why we celebrate this day as the day of national sovereignty. Over the years, this day was also celebrated as Children’s Day in order to raise support for children who lost their families in the war, and over time it became Children’s Holiday. On April 23rd, ceremonies are held in schools and children organize various performances. 

May 5-6 Hıdırellez

Hıdrellez is one of our seasonal holidays known throughout the Turkic world. It is celebrated every year on May 6 because it is the day when the Prophets Hızır and İlyas meet on earth. The words Hızır and İlyas have merged and taken the form of hıdrellez in folklore. It is believed that Hızır is the harbinger of spring, the one who gives life to plants, helps those who are in trouble, and Ilyas is the protector of the waters, and this meeting is celebrated as a spring festival. 

May 1 – İşçi Bayramı

Worker’s Day

May 1st, a day of unity, solidarity and struggle against injustice celebrated by workers and laborers around the world, is also celebrated in Turkey with marches and meetings. Taksim Square in Istanbul is the symbolic place of Labor Day. Although the celebrations are sometimes calm, most years there are arguments and clashes for political and ideological reasons. 

May 11 – Anneler Günü

Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day in Turkey is celebrated every year on the second Sunday of May. Usually on Mother’s Day we either have breakfast together or have dinner together as whole family. We give flowers and gifts to our mothers. Sometimes in some cities, municipalities and civil organizations organize special events to contribute mothers enjoy this day.

May 19 – Atatürk’ü Anma Gençlik Spor Bayramı

Commemoration of Atatürk Youth Sports Day

May 19, 1919 is dated in our history as the day the Turkish War of Independence began. Since Atatürk dedicated this important day to the Turkish youth, May 19 is celebrated as the Youth and Sports Day. As with most national holidays, flags are displayed all over Turkey on this day and various ceremonies are organized. Sports competitions and dance performances are organized with the participation of young people. In the evenings, concerts are organized in some cities. 

June 15 – Babalar Günü

Father’s Day

In Turkey, Father’s Day is celebrated every year on the third Sunday of June. Just like on Mother’s Day, on Father’s Day the whole family comes together to eat together and give gifts to their fathers. 

June 6 – 9 Kurban Bayramı

Sacrifice Holiday

Eid al-Adha, one of the two most important holidays in Islam, is a day when Muslims sacrifice animals with the intention of getting closer to Allah and seeking His blessing.  The story of Abraham and Isaac in the Bible is similar in the Qur’an, but Muslims believe that Ishmael was the son to be sacrificed. This event is believed to be the origin of the sacrifice. On this religious holiday, prayers are also held in the mosque in the morning. In the evening, large tables are set with friends and relatives. A portion of the sacrificed animal is given to those in need, ensuring social solidarity. And of course, guests are served baklava, which is indispensable for religious holidays. 

July 15 – Demokrasi ve Milli Birlik Günü

Democracy and National Unity Day

July 15, which is newer than other special days, was demilanized to commemorate the attempted coup against the 65th Turkish Government and the President of Turkey in 2016 and the suppression of the coup attempt on the morning of July 16 as a result of the operations carried out by the personnel of the Turkish Armed Forces and the Turkish National Police. On this day, which is a public holiday, there are no big celebrations. 

July 5 – Aşure Günü

According to Islamic belief, a dessert called Ashura is cooked and served to acquaintances on this day, which is recognized as the day when Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, was killed by Yazid’s army and Noah’s ark survived the flood. Traditionally, it is believed that Noah made this dessert with the last ingredients he had when he set foot on land after the Great Flood. Ashura is made in large quantities to commemorate this day and distributed to friends, relatives, neighbors, colleagues, classmates and others as an offering of peace and love, regardless of the religion or belief system of the recipient. 

October 29 – Cumhuriyet Bayramı

Republic Day

It is a national holiday celebrated every year on October 29 in Turkey and Northern Cyprus to commemorate the proclamation of the Republic by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey on October 29, 1923. All over Turkey, parades are held throughout the day, all buildings are decorated with flags and in most cities the celebrations continue in the evenings with concerts.  

August 30 – Zafer Bayramı

Victory Day

This is an official and national holiday celebrated every year on August 30 in Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to commemorate the Great Offensive that ended in victory under Atatürk’s command in Dumlupınar on August 30, 1922. It is celebrated with special programs in schools. Parades and concerts are also held on this holiday. 

November 10 – Atatürk’ün Ölüm Yıldönümü

Anniversary of Atatürk’s Death

November 10, 1938 is the annual national mourning in memory of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder and first President of Turkey, who died at 09.05 on November 10, 1938. Every year on the morning of November 10, sirens are sounded throughout Turkey and a moment of silence is observed for 2 minutes in memory of Atatürk. Traffic stops on the streets and people wait for the siren to stop without moving. Ceremonies are organized in schools and government buildings. Flags are then lowered to half-mast as a sign of mourning at all official buildings and foreign missions in Turkey, except for the flags in front of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. 

November 24 – Öğretmenler Günü

Teacher Day

Every year on November 24, we celebrate Teacher’s Day to honor our teachers who practice this beautiful profession. Children of all age groups bring flowers to their teachers on that day. Usually in primary schools, parents organize and collect money to buy gifts for their class teachers. If your children are going to school in Turkey, don’t forget to send them to school with flowers on November 24th! 

December 31 – Yılbaşı Gecesi

New Year’s Eve

Every year, when the calendars show December 31st, the “New Year celebration” begins for us. Our rituals are often the same: We have our New Year’s wishes in our minds, and maybe we are even excitedly waiting for the first minutes of the new year to take the first steps. Some of us will spend a wonderful New Year’s Eve with our family, while others choose to share a night of joy with our favorite friends. The gifts we buy to make the people we love happy and to wish them a wonderful new year are also delivered to their owners. An enjoyable dinner, a short conversation about the events of the past year that made us laugh or make us sad, lots of laughter, maybe a little sadness, but a hopeful anticipation. This is the picture of New Year’s Eve in Turkey.

December 7 – 17 – Şeb-i Arus

Mevlana, who has an important place in Turkish culture, was a Persian Sufi poet and theologian. Mevlana, who adopted a teaching based on submission to God, contempt for the ego, austerity and humility, called the time of his death and reunion with God as Şeb-i Arus, the wedding night. For this reason, ceremonies and Sema performances are held every year in Konya on the anniversary of Mevlana’s death.