NATIONAL AND RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS IN TURKEY

1. NATIONAL AND RELIGIOUSFESTIVALS IN TURKEY • REPUBLIC DAY • CHILDREN’S DAY • YOUTH AND SPORTS FESTIVAL • VICTORY DAY • RAMADAN FEAST • SACRIFICE FEAST

2. 23 AprilNational Sovereignty and Children's Day in Turkey • Solemn ceremonies and children’s festivals take place throughout Turkey on National Sovereignty and Children’s Day, held on April 23 each year. Children take seats in the Turkish Parliament and symbolically govern the country for one day.

3. What do people do? • Many people in Turkey commemorate the first gathering of the Grand National Assembly (the Turkish Parliament), which took place on April 23, 1920, by attending local ceremonies or laying wreaths at monuments of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic. The biggest ceremony takes place at the Ataturk Mausoleum in Ankara. • Because Ataturk reportedly dedicated the Turkish Republic to children, Turkish schoolchildren take seats in the Parliament for the day and symbolically govern the country. They elect a president who then addresses the country on national television. Children’s festivals take place throughout the country. The state-run Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) brings children, aged eight to 14, from different countries around the world to Turkey. These children stay with Turkish families for a week and participate in children’s festivals, which culminate is a gala-performance on April 23.

5. Public life • National Sovereignty and Children’s Day is an official holiday in Turkey. Government offices, schools and most businesses are closed on this day. Public transport routes may vary in the event of street performances.

6. Symbols • The most common symbols of National Sovereignty and Children’s Day are: • A globe or a circle, symbolizing the world. • A group of children holding hands, symbolizing unity. • The Turkish flag, symbolizing Turkish statehood. • These symbols are commonly seen on National Sovereignty and Children’s Day in Turkey.

7. Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day in Turkey • The Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day in Turkey features state ceremonies and sports events throughout the country on May 19 each year. Young Turkish athletes carry the Turkish flag from a Black Sea port to the country’s capital to commemorate Turkey’s War of Independence (1919–1923).

8. What do people do? • In the run-up to the May 19 celebrations, young Turkish athletes carry the national flag from Samsun, a Black Sea port from where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk started Turkey’s War of Independence in 1919, to Ankara, the country’s capital. The marathon usually takes about 10 days. The Turkish president accepts the flag at a ceremony on May 19. • Various sports events take place on May 19 throughout Turkey. Many people celebrate this day by watching athletes perform at their local stadiums or by participating in sports events that are open to the public, such as half-marathons. University students usually prepare special programs for their teachers and parents on this day. • Many Turks also observe May 19 as Atatürk’s birthday. Although the exact date of his birth is not known, Atatürk used to say he was born on May 19 (referring to his political career). Many people lay wreaths to Atatürk’s monuments and hang Turkish flags outside their windows.

9. Public life • The Turkish flag, images of Atatürk and the boat on which he arrived in Samsun, as well as images related to sports are the symbols of the Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day in Turkey.

10. Ramadan Feast Eve in Turkey • Many people in Turkey renew their wardrobes and prepare traditional Ramadan desserts on the Ramadan Feast Eve. It is also an occasion to remember and honor the dead.

11. What do people do? • Many people spend the Ramadan Feast Eve preparing traditional desserts, such as baklava, to give to neighbors and friends during the Ramadan Feast. Some Turkish people shop for new clothes on this day, which they then wear during the holiday. • The Ramadan Feast Eve is also an occasion to honor the dead in many Turkish households. People may cook a special meal, pişi, which consists of large pieces of fried dough, and distribute it to neighbors and the poor in remembrance of their deceased relatives. It is also common to visit the cemetery on this day.

13. Symbols • he symbols of the Ramadan Feast Eve are the same as the symbols of the Ramadan Feast, also known in Turkey as Şeker Bayramı, the Sugar Feast. They include: • A new moon. • Traditional desserts or sweets. • A cup of Turkish coffee. • These symbols can be seen on the Ramadan Feast Eve in Turkey.

14. Ramadan Feast in Turkey • The Ramadan Feast in Turkey is a time for visiting relatives and paying one’s respect to older people. Many Turks give away sweets and desserts during the festival, and children may watch free Turkish shadow plays.

15. What do people do? • Many people wake up early on the first day of the Ramadan Feast. They put on their best clothes, called bayramlık, which they often buy specifically for the occasion, and have a large breakfast. This symbolizes the end of the fasting period, which many Muslims observe during the preceding month of Ramadan.

16. Symbols • The symbols of the Ramadan Feast include: • A new moon. • Sweets or traditional desserts. • A cup of Turkish tea or coffee. • These symbols can be seen in artwork related to the Ramadan Feast in Turkey.

17. Victory Day in Turkey • Military parades and ceremonies at monuments to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who founded the Turkish Republic, are some common ways to celebrate Victory Day in Turkey. Turkish flags often adorn shops, public offices and people's houses on this day.

18. What do people do? • Many people in Turkey celebrate Victory Day by attending military parades, which take place in many big cities throughout the country. Air forces celebrate the day with demonstration flights. The jets involved in such flights usually leave a red-and-white trail, symbolizing the Turkish flag. • Residents and shop owners decorate their windows with Turkish flags and images of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. State officials attend a ceremony at Atatürk's Mausoleum in Ankara. All promotions in the Turkish Armed Forces take place on this day, and military schools hold annual graduation ceremonies on August 30.

20. Symbols • The Turkish flag and images of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk are the symbols of Victory Day in Turkey.

21. Sacrifice Feast Eve in Turkey • Many people in Turkey do their shopping and prepare meals for the four-day Sacrifice Feast during the Sacrifice Feast Eve. Some people may sacrifice an animal in remembrance of their dead relatives on this day.

22. What do people do? • Many people buy new clothes and prepare some meals during the Sacrifice Feast Eve in Turkey. Many people also tidy their houses and make preparations for guests who may wish to stay overnight during the four-day Sacrifice Feast that follows the Sacrifice Feast Eve. The head of each household may choose a sacrificial animal (usually a goat, sheep or cow) for the Sacrifice Feast on the eve of the festival. People who wish to visit relatives in other cities may travel on this day. • Some families sacrifice an animal on the Sacrifice Feast Eve to remember their dead relatives. They give the meat of that animal to the poor or distribute it among the neighbors. Families may not eat the meat of an animal they sacrificed on this day. Visiting the cemetery is also common during the Sacrifice Feast Eve.

23. Symbols • The most common symbols of the Sacrifice Feast Eve in Turkey are a ram (or a sheep) and a mosque.

24. Sacrifice Feast in Turkey • The Sacrifice Feast in Turkey is a four-day religious festival. The Sacrifice Feast traditions in Turkey include sacrificing an animal in a special ritual, visiting relatives and helping the poor.

25. What do people do? • The Sacrifice Feast is one of the oldest Islamic holidays in Turkey. It commemorates the story about Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) who showed obedience to God by agreeing to sacrifice his son. God then sent him a ram to be sacrificed instead. The Sacrifice Feast comes about 70 days after the Ramadan Feast. According to old belief it is unlucky to get married or start a new business in the period between these two holidays.

26. Symbols • The common symbols of the Sacrifice Feast in Turkey are a ram (or a sheep) and a mosque

27. Republic Day in Turkey • Many people in Turkey celebrate Republic Day on October 29 by attending performances and participating in traditional processions with flags and musical bands. The Turkish Republic’s founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk proclaimed Republic Day as Turkey’s most important holiday.

28. What do people do? • Many people go to local stadiums on October 29 to watch performances dedicated to Republic Day in Turkey. Such performances usually consist of theater sketches, poetry readings and traditional Turkish dances. Many school children participate in school performances for parents and teachers. Parades may take place in some cities and politicians may give public speeches on this day. Many people also lay wreaths to Atatürk’s monuments or visit Atatürk’s mausoleum in the country’s capital, Ankara. • In the evening of October 29 many cities have traditional processions with flags and musical bands to commemorate Republic Day in Turkey. The processions usually end with fireworks, which begin after dark.

30. Symbols • The common symbols of Republic Day in Turkey are: • The Turkish flag. • Pictures of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. • These symbols can be seen on Republic Day in Turkey.