Ayşegül Gürsoy Oflas / Yaglidere Anatolian High School-Gİresun,Turkey

New Year's Eve 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.

New Year's Eve is not a public holiday. Businesses have normal opening hours. 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.

What Do People Do?

Many people in Turkey start celebrating New Year’s Eve with a large family dinner. 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. 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.