Ayşegül Gürsoy Oflas / Yağlıdere Anatolian High School-Giresun

                           Our common work / Our students breaking news about energy saving

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How to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

1. Change your light bulbs to LEDs.
2. Wash your clothes in cold water if possible.
3. Air seal your home. Sealing cracks, gaps and leaks and adding insulation can save up to 10% on home heating and cooling costs.
4. Clean or replace all filters in your home regularly. Dirty filters make your system work harder and run longer than necessary.
5. Use your microwave instead of your stove when cooking.
6. Defrost your refrigerator and freezer before ice buildup becomes 1/4-inch thick to ensure your appliances are running efficiently.
7. During warmer months, close blinds, shades and drapes on the sunny side of your home to help keep your home's temperature cooler and reduce the work for you AC. Open shades during cooler months to let the sun warm your home.
8. Don't peek in the oven while baking! Every time you peek, the temperature can drop 25 F, making your oven use more energy to bring the temperature back up.
9. Use natural light when possible.
10. Control your fixtures with a photocell or a timer to assure dusk-to-dawn only operation of your outdoor lights.
11. Don't leave your electronics on all day long. Only turn on your computer, monitor, printer and fax machine when you need them.
12. Set your thermostat to 78F in the summer and 68F in the winter - every degree of extra heating or cooling will increase energy usage 6% to 8%. Setting your thermostat to a lower temperature than normal will not cool your home faster.
13. Using your ceiling fan will allow you to raise the thermostat setting about 4°F with no reduction in comfort.
14. Refrigerators and freezers actually operate most efficiently when full, so keep your refrigerator and freezer as full as possible (using water bottles if nothing else). Be careful about overfilling them as this will reduce airflow and cause the appliance to work harder.
15. Using dishwashers and clothes washers/dryers at night will keep the house cooler, reduce strain on the power grid during the peak usage hours of 4 PM and 6 PM and reduce the chance of an emergency!
16. Turn off heated dry on your dishwasher and air dry instead.
17. Set your refrigerator temperature to the manufacturer's recommendation to avoid excessive cooling and wasting energy.
18. Don't leave bathroom or kitchen ventilation fans running longer than necessary. They replace inside air with outside.
19. Replace your windows. If your home has single-pane windows, consider replacing them with more energy efficient windows, or adding solar shades or tinting film.
20. Install a programmable thermostat that will automatically adjust the temperature according to your schedule.
21. Turn off the lights when they're not in use. Lighting accounts for about 12% of a typical residential utility bill.
22. Don't leave your mobile phone plugged in overnight. It only takes a couple of hours to charge.
23. Turn off the oven a few minutes before cooking time runs out. Your food will continue to cook without using the extra electricity.
24. Watch your appliance placement. Avoid placing appliances that give off heat, such as lamps or TVs, near a thermostat.
25. Dress for the weather. When you're at home, dress in warm clothing in the winter and cooler clothing in the summer to stay comfortable without making your heater and AC work harder.

NEW YEAR CELEBRATION IN TURKEY'S SOME CITIES

                                                                      İSTANBUL

                                                                         ANKARA

İZMİR

BURSA

NEVŞEHİR

ANTALYA 

BODRUM

ESKİŞEHİR

MARMARİS

ADANA

ERZURUM

BOLU

TOMBALA TRADITIONAL NEW YEAR GAME

 

• Sell Tambola Tickets at a fixed or mutually-agreed-upon price to everyone who wants to play.
• With the ticket(s), hand out a pen/pencil/toothpick to the players to strike the called Numbers/CUEs in their tickets.
• Decide the cash-prizes for the decided winning points. Winning points can be like:
• Early 5: the ticket with first five struck numbers
• First Row/Top Row: the ticket with all numbers struck in a top row first
• Second Row/Middle Row: the ticket with all numbers struck in a middle row first
• Third Row/Bottom Row: the ticket with all numbers struck in a bottom row first
• Corners: the ticket with all 4 corner numbers struck first (1st and last numbers of top and bottom rows)
• Corner with Star: the ticket with all 4 corner & centre-most numbers struck first (1st and last numbers of top and bottom rows along with a centre-most number of the middle row)
• Full House/First House: the ticket with all its numbers struck first
• Second House: the ticket with all its numbers struck second
  and so on…

• As we know by now that there are 90 numbers in Tambola Game and each ticket has 15 numbers. So, 6 tickets has 15*6 = 90 numbers. In all these 6 tickets, each number from 1-90 occurs once only so covering all 90 numbers. Therefore, when a CUE is called, it will be present in one and only one ticket from the set of 6 tickets.
• There are 3 rows and 9 columns in every Tambola Ticket
• There are a total of 90 (1-90) numbers in Tambola
• There are 3 rows and 9 columns in every Tambola Ticket
• Every ticket has exactly 15 numbers
• Every row contains 5 numbers
• A column may have 1, 2 or 3 numbers. There should be at least 1 number in every column
• A Ticket cannot have the same number more than once
• Column 1 on any ticket has numbers between 1-9
• Column 2 on any ticket has numbers between 10-19
• Column 3 on any ticket has numbers between 20-29
• Column 4 on any ticket has numbers between 30-39
• Column 5 on any ticket has numbers between 40-49
• Column 6 on any ticket has numbers between 50-59
• Column 7 on any ticket has numbers between 60-69
• Column 8 on any ticket has numbers between 70-79
• Column 9 on any ticket has numbers between 80-90

Some popular phrases to use while calling out Numbers

1 – First on the board, no. 1; lone ranger no. 1; Buttered scone; Top of the house no. 1
2 – Kaala dhan (number “do”); one little duck no. 2
3 – Happy family; goodness me no. 3
4 – Hum doh humare “do”; 2+2=4; Murgi chor
5 – Punjab mail no. 5, Come for a drive at no. 5
6 – Bottom heavy, In a fix no. 6; supper sixer
7 – Lucky no. seven, Colours of the rainbow, days in a week; saat sur
8 – Big fat lady/major no. 8
9 – Doctor’s time no. 9
10 – A big fat hen no. 10; uncle Ben
11 – Beautiful legs; sexy legs
12 – One dozen
13 – Unlucky for some no. 13, Baker’s Dozen no. 13
14 – Valentine’s Day; Tender chick, age is 14
15 – Yet to be kissed, age is 15
16 – Never been kissed, Sweet sixteen
17 – Not so sweet, often been kissed, Dancing Queen
18 – Now you can vote, marriageable age no. 18
19 – Goodbye teens at no. 19

20_  Blind 20; one score
21 – Watch your son at 21, Women’s age never crosses 21; President’s salute
22 – Two little ducks; All twos no. 22
23 – You and me is 23
24 – Two dozen
25 – Wish to have a wife at 25, Silver Jubilee (25)
26 – Republic Day
27 – Gateway to heaven no. 27
28 – Not so late at 28; Duck and its mate
29 – In your prime, Gin and lime 29
30 – Women get flirty at 30; Flirty thirty
31 – Flavours at Baskin Robins
32 – 32, Mouth’s Full
33 – Lovely lips, All the 3s, Knocking knees 33
34 – Dil mange more at 34
35 – Flirty wife 35
36 – Perfect vital stats 36, standard size 36, three dozen
37 – Mixed luck
38 – Oversize
39 – Watch your waistline
40 – Naughty 40
41 – Life begins at 41
43 – Down on your knees 43
44 – Chor & chor, All the fours
45 – Halfway there
46 – Up to tricks at 46
47 – Year of Independence
49 – Rise and shine at 49
50 – Half a century, Golden Jubilee (50)
51 – Charity begins at 51
52 – Weeks in a year; Pack of cards
53 – Pack with a joker
54 – Time for more
55 – Nagging wife, All the fives
56 – Pick up sticks
60 – Diamond Jubilee (60)
66 – Clickety Click
69 – Ulta Pulta, Any way round
72 – Lucky couple, lucky two
74 – Lucky chor 74
77 – Hum “saat” “saat” (Hindi) hain, luck-a-luck, double hockey sticks, two little crutches
78 – Lucky “seth” (Hindi) 78
79 – One more time, lucky nine
82 – Last of the two 82; Fat lady with a duck
83 – India won Cricket World Cup
84 – Last of the chors
87 – Last of luck, fat lady with a crutch
88 – Two fat ladies
89 – Nearly there; All but one
90 – Top of the house, no. 90!

BETÜL TOPAY AYAN/TOROS ANATOLIAN HIGH SCHOOL-ANTALYA/TURKEY

TURKISH NEW YEAR TRADITIONS

    In Turkey,  we celebrate Christmas. It’s just that it’s not on the 25th December, but on the 31st .Actually, we just celebrate new year. 
    New Years day is the only public holiday in Turkey which is not a religious holiday or national celebration. 

    As in many other places in the world that Turkey, on the evening of New Year’s Eve celebrations are organized in a variety of entertainment .“Yeni yılınız kutlu olsun” this is how  you say “merry christmas “in Turkish.  

    People in Turkey who celebrate Christmas do same things as other people who celebrate Christmas. Well-attended celebrations in metropolitan cities, squares, fireworks, parades, concerts. Starting mid-December, streets and stores are decorated in a similar fashion Western countries do for Christmas. You’ll find plenty of Christmas trees, (street) lights.If the people prefer to celebrate  outdoors Several thousand people meet at central meeting point in order to dance to the music of the New Year’s Concert and to see the big fireworks. Turkish people do not celebrate Christmas as such, however they are beginning to put up Christmas trees and lights etc. This is only due to a trend, and does not mean a religious inclination.

   You can  buy Christmas trees in every major supermarket and decorate them with luminous ornaments at home; the streets, shops and houses are festively decorated and the loudspeakers in the shopping. You will find Turkey's for sale in the supermarket along with many tasty treats and drinks on offer.You can also get New Year packs which which contain,snacks,drinks and various other bits and pieces.Many buy presents for friends and loved ones.

   Despite all that, however December 24^th and 25^th are completely normal work days. No one celebrates. For the Turkish, December 31^st is the “Great Day”. On this day they celebrate “Yıl-başı”, the “head of the year”.Mant Turkish people celebrate the New Year's coming with new year events and those that stay at home play games and watch new year  programmes on TV and of course with an abundance of food and Turkish tea.Generally large family dinners are organized.Turkey is the favourite main dish of that night.



'Tombala' is known as a Christmas game in Turkey and that bingo game is played among family members in most of the houses that night.

  The idea of Christmas for the Turkish is not a throughly alien one;Santa Claus(Father Christmas) was born in Turkey and it is called Noel Baba in Turkish.A historic temple where his home was still exists today and is open for visits. 

   The Byzantine church was originally used as a house of worship for Orthodox Christians between the 5^th and 12^th centuries, and is most notable for being the church where Saint Nicholas of Myra was a consecrated bishop. Who exactly was St. Nicholas of Myra? He was an Eastern Orthodox bishop born in nearby Patara in the 4^th century, but is more commonly known as Santa Claus.

    The grey-stone building sits in a depression which is several meters deep, and is surrounded by well-tended gardens and several modern-day statues portraying the many faces of St. Nicholas – including his roles as priest and bishop, St. Nicholas, Father Christmas, and Santa Claus. Faded frescoes depicting various religious scenes and the story of St. Nicholas' life cover the interior walls. Marble columns and vaulted ceilings give the space an open and airy feeling, and intricate mosaic tiles (dating to the 11^th century) line the floor. There are several sarcophagi in the church, including one believed to have been the Saint's tomb.

   The present day building is not the original church on the site. It is believed that the building we see today was built on the foundation of another church (built in the 3^rd century BC) after St. Nicholas died (December 6, 343) to protect his tomb and honour his memory.It is in Demre,Antalya(my hometown) and drawn significant attention from archaeologists, historians, religious experts and the curious public.
 

    Actually, Turkey has no Christmas tradition.Turkish people do some of their traditions when they start a new year as well.Here are a few of these traditions.
 

  💥Wearing red is one of the traditions,I am not sure the origin but I know that in Italy and Mexico it is also a tradition.Almost everything and every dress becomes red in Christmas days. The meaning of this is to bring luck for the coming year.
  💥Another is to open your house door or shop door at the bells and sprinkle salt on the doorstep, this is said to bring peace and abundance to your home and business.
  💥Opening the tap and letting the water run is another tradition said to bring abundance to  home.
  💥Going for a short walk is said to bring travel into your life.
  💥Milli Piyango means  New Year lottery.On New Year’s Eve the big lottery draw takes place.Many people buy a lottery ticket in the hope of entering the New Year as Millionaires!!
 

     Whatever the traditions or superstitions New Year is a time for family and friends to gather and bring in the New Year and join in each others wishes and dream for the following year.

   💖 HAPPY NEW YEAR FOR ALL OF YOU 💖

May the new year 2021 brings health(death of corona) and good luck !🎀💌🐞
Best regards...

Betül Topay AYAN

Nazlı ŞAHİN New Year in Turkey

Karakuş tatlısı
 Aslında yeni yıl Anadolu'da eski Türkler"de fe farkı şekillerde kutlanırdı.Mesela bütün bir yıl bereketli geçsin diye yılbaşı gecesi evin duvarlarına kuru fasülye koyarlarmış.

   Günümüzde ülkemizde yeni yılın gelişi farklı şekillerde kutlanıyor.Bizler yıl başı gecesi hep birlikte bir arada olmayı seçeriz.

    Akşam en güzel yemekler ve tatlılar yapılır. Birlikte yenir.Ben mesela çocukken hatırladığım annemin hey yıl başında yaptığı karakuş tatlısıydı.

     Her evde farklı tatlılar yapılır,mesela kadayıf tatlısı da tercih edilen bir tatlıdır.

In fact, the New Year was celebrated in different ways by the old Turks in Anatolia. For example, they used to put dried beans on the walls of the house on New Year's Eve so that the whole year would be prosperous.

   Today, the arrival of the new year is celebrated in different ways in our country. We choose to be together on the night of the new year.

    Different desserts are made in every house. For example, kadayif dessert is a preferred dessert.

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.

TURKISH PEOPLE ALSO EXCHANGE GIFTS

 RUMEYSE ÖZKAN, SOMUNCUBABA IMAM HATIP SECINDARY SCHOOL, BURSA, TURKEY

In Turkey, people (especially family members and friends) write their names on a piece of paper, then draw lots for a name. The rule is that you cannot tell whose name you have and you will not be able to know who is going to give your present for New Year. It is kept as a secret until the 1st January. I think that is a nice tradition as it reinforces the friendship and love.There is also a version of the Christmas lottery: everyone gets a gift. gifts are numbered. then each person draws a number, hence a gift. In this version, you cannot discriminate as you do not know who will receive your gift, you will receive your gift regardless of the person you love or dislike.