Turkey has a lot to celebrate and the Turks do so on many occasions throughout the year. From national and religious holidays to cultural days of significance, check out this 2022 calendar of important dates and events of interest to expats in Turkey.
New Year's Day was announced as an official holiday in Turkey in 1935 and has continued to be celebrated as such, thus making this Saturday, Jan. 1 an official holiday.
Bocuk Night is a Balkan tradition of celebrating the coldest night of the year by dressing up as ghosts and strolling the streets of Edirne's Keşan district. Held on Jan. 15, locals and people from all over Turkey flock to Keşan as is medieval tradition to dress up as ghosts in what could best be described as a Thracian version of Halloween.
Baklahorani, also referred to as the Tatavla Carnival, is a joyous multicultural 500-year-old Greek festival marking the start of Lent that is celebrated with street musicians and a parade in Istanbul's Kurtuluş neighborhood.
International Women's Day is a significant day of celebration here, thus if you are a woman, don't be surprised to be handed a rose by strangers in public spaces and if you are a man, heed my advice and acknowledge the day to the women around you.
Not to be confused with Anzac Day, March 18 is the day that in 1915 the Ottoman forces (led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk) won the Battle of Gallipoli against the Allied forces. While not an official holiday, this is the day the Turks commemorate this legendary and symbolic nearly 11-month battle that took place along the Dardanelles.
National Sovereignty and Children's Day that Turkish Republic founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk devoted to children is held on the anniversary of the founding of Turkey's Grand National Assembly in 1920. This assembly is where the foundations of a new, independent, secular and modern republic that we now know as present-day Turkey were established after the Ottoman Empire's decline. In 1927, Atatürk added the Children's Day addendum to the holiday list, making Turkey the first country to devote a national holiday to children.
On this day in Turkey, the custom is for the highest levels of government to relinquish their positions for the day to children, who get to have the purely ceremonial experience of what it is like to be in positions such as a judge or parliamentarian. The Grand National Assembly of Turkey also abides by the tradition and the state broadcaster TRT would organize children's festivals in which children from around 50 different countries participate. Schools around the country have their students put on performances and towns hold parades.
On the Christian occasion of St. George's Day, in Turkey, a symbolic pilgrimage of sorts takes part on the day in which thousands climb the 200-meter (656-feet) ascent to the Büyükada, the largest of Istanbul's Prince Islands. Thousands of pilgrims climb an over 200-meter ascent to Yücetepe and the Greek Orthodox monastery of Saint George Koudounas, which has stood there since the year 963 A.D.
While not a Turkish holiday, April 25 is Anzac Day, the day Australia and New Zealand commemorate the soldiers' lost battle. The day is significant as it marks the landing of the Allied troops in Çanakkale in 1915. Considered to be a pilgrimage of national heritage, a lottery is drawn each year in the two countries to determine the lucky applicants selected to join the thousands that participate in a special overnight vigil ceremony held in Gallipoli. The event is attended by Anzac heads of state and even members of the royal family.
Labor and Solidarity Day was declared a holiday in Turkey in 2009, however this year it falls on a Sunday.
The holy month of Ramadan begins on April 2 this year and will go on until May 2. This 30-day sunrise-to-sunset fast takes place on the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and thus alters each year. While Ramadan itself is not an official holiday, it is important for foreigners to be aware that many people will be practicing the monthlong fast and thus may not be on their A-game. Be kind and understanding and try not to gulp down a refreshing bottle of water as all food, beverages and even cigarettes are refrained from during daylight hours. You may hear a cannon set off at sunset to signal the start of the fast-ending meal referred to as "iftar," so don't be alarmed. The same goes for drummers wandering the streets at dusk to wake those for "sahur," the final meal before the day starts.
Ramazan Bayramı, also known as Eid al-Fitr, officially starts on May 2, however certain religious holiday's have an "arife," best described as the "eve" of the occasion, thus many places of businesses will begin their holiday with a half-day on Sunday, May 1. The holiday then continues for three full days, from May 2 to 4, however, most shops and museums will reopen from May 3 while many remain open throughout the duration.
In Turkey, the holiday is also referred to as Şeker Bayramı, which translates to the "Feast of the Sweets" as it is tradition for children to visit neighbors and family members to be gifted candies, so you might want to have something sweet to gift on hand. It is also customary for hosts to offer sweets to their guests as visiting friends and family is also par for the tradition.
Hıdırellez is an ancient celebration of spring that has been celebrated throughout Turkey and the Turkic world as the ushering in of spring. In practice, the day is celebrated with music, dancing and bonfires to be jumped over. This is because, according to beliefs, on this very special evening the prophets Al-Khidr and Elijah meet on Earth, allowing for an overnight slice of time in which wishes are granted and thus, there are a number of rituals that take place surrounding wish-making.
Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day is a national holiday in Turkey celebrated on the date that Atatürk landed in Samsun in 1919 and started the Turkish national movement, which led to the start of the Turkish War of Independence. While the actual date of Atatürk's birth is unknown, he announced in one of his speeches that he considers it to be May 19. The holiday is celebrated with parades and demonstrations such as folk dances and poetry recitals, which are shared over loudspeakers countrywide, so be prepared to hear the chanting of the famous Gençlik Marşı, an anthem associated with this day.
The Feast of Sacrifice (aka Eid al-Adha), Kurban Bayramı in Turkish, is both Turkey and Islam's longest holiday stretching for four 1/2 days. The arife takes place on July 8 and will be a half-day for many businesses, while the 9-12 of July is the official holiday, marked by the sacrifice of an animal and distribution of alms.
Announced in 2016, Turkey's newest holiday is July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day (Demokrasi ve Milli Birlik Günü) to commemorate the lives lost in the violent and unsuccessful coup attempt that transpired on July 15, 2016. Don't be surprised to hear cars honking as passengers wave flags from the windows. This isn't the first time a coup was commemorated in Turkey as there used to be a holiday on May 27 called Constitution Day in remembrance of the 1960 coup d'etat.
Victory Day, in Turkish Zafer Bayramı, marks the day Turkey won the War of Independence at the Battle of Dumlupınar in 1922. This national holiday that celebrates the Turkish Armed Forces is celebrated with parades, speeches and marches as well as a steadfast tradition of state leaders laying wreaths on Atatürk's Mausoleum as well as the air force performing an air show over Kütahya's Dumlupınar.
Republic Day, Cumhuriyet Bayramı in Turkish, is a public holiday commemorating the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey on Oct. 29, 1923. Expect the day prior, Oct. 28, to be a half-day and for all places of businesses to be closed on the 29th.
Rumi Remembrance Day is observed in Konya on the death anniversary of Sufi scholar Mevlana Jalaladdin Rumi, known in Turkish as Mevlana. He died on Dec. 17, 1273. In Turkish, the day is referred to as Şeb-i Arus, which means the "wedding night," referring to Rumi's reunion with Allah. In the fortnight preceding the date, Konya turns into a mystic wonderland with special rituals, such as whirling dervish ceremonies held for the occasion.
