Turkey Events and Festivals

New Year's Day
New Year's Day in Turkey is kind of a surrogate Christmas, with decorations in shops and the exchange of gifts and greeting cards.

Nevruz
This ancient Middle Eastern spring festival takes place on March 21. It is celebrated by Kurds and Alevis by jumping over bonfires.

National Sovereignty & Children's Day
The 23rd of April commemorates the first meeting of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, or republican parliament in 1920. It is also Children's Day, an international children's festival with events all over the country from all around the world.

Anzac Day
April 25th commemorates the battles fought and lives lost in 1915 at Gallipoli Peninsula. Commemorative services are held at dawn at Gallipoli Battlefield Site. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who, along with allied forces were a major part of the 1915 battle against the Turks. It is an important day not only in Turkey, but in Australia and New Zealand as well.

Youth & Sports Day
May 19th celebrates the former leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's birthday with many sporting events throughout the country.

Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Competition
Held in June in Edirne; Turkey's greatest oil-wrestlers slug it out for supremacy.

Aspendos International Opera and Ballet Festival 
This elegant festival is held in June and July, during which the city’s spectacular 2nd century amphitheatre plays host to the various performances.

Victory Day
This national holiday on 30 August commemorates the republican army's victory over the invading Greek army at Dumlupinar during the War of Independence (1919-1922).

Republic Day
The 29th of October is a national holiday commemorating the proclamation of the republic of Ataturk in 1923.

Anniversary of Ataturk's Death
At precisely 9:05am on 10 November, the entire country comes to a halt for a moment of silence in memory of Ataturk's death in 1938.

Mevlana Festival
This Konya festival takes place around the 10th-17th of December. It honours Celaleddin Rumi, the great poet and mystic of the 14th century who founded the Mevlevi order of the whirling dervishes.

The official Turkish calendar is the Gregorian one used by Europe and America. However, religious festivals are celebrated according to the Islamic lunar calendar, therefore the dates of Islamic festivals take place around 11 days earlier each year.

Turkey celebrates all the main Islamic holidays of which the most important are the month-long Ramazan (Ramadan) and, two months later, Kurban Bayrami.

Kurban Bayrami
The most important religious and secular holiday of the year, Kurban Bayrami (Festival of the Sacrifice) is equivalent to the importance of Christmas to Christians. It takes place two months after Ramazan for four to five days.

Every year during Kurban Bayrami, around four million cows or rams are sacrificed by every head of a household who can afford to buy an animal. It is then butchered and the family and friends prepare a feast. Part of the meat is distributed to the needy, and the skin is donated to charity.

It is wise to be prepared for Kurban Bayrami: transportation is packed and accommodation, especially in resort areas, is scarce and expensive. Banks usually close for one week, although one or two will stay open in large cities to serve foreigners. Animal-lovers will probably want to give it a miss or very wide birth as many of the animals are slaughtered in public places, especially in Istanbul.

Ramazan
Ramazan, or Ramadan, consists of a month of fasting from sunrise to sunset, and then feasting from sunset far into the night. Before dawn, drummers circulate through the towns to awaken those who want to eat before the sun rises. During Ramazan restaurants may be closed from sunrise to sunset. Turkey is a relatively liberal Islamic country, hence Non-Muslims are allowed to eat and drink when they like. In the big cities, you will find non-fasting Muslims eating beside you. However, in conservative towns it impolite for anyone (including non-Muslims) to eat or drink in public during these hours. As a general rule, it is best to be discreet and take note of your surroundings.

Seker Bayrami
Also called Ramazan Bayrami, Seker Bayrami (Sweet Holiday) is a three day festival that celebrates the end of Ramazan. It is named so because during this holiday, children go from door to door asking for sweet treats. Their elders go visiting and everybody drinks lots of tea. Banks and offices close, hotels, planes, trains and buses are booked solid.