New Year

In Turkey, New Year’s Eve is usually spent with the family and close friends that share a special meal. The traditional meal for New Year's Eve is turkey with a special pilaf kind. During the day of 31 December and especially in the night itself there are special entertainment programs and shows on TV that last till early in the morning. Other people go out to restaurants and nightclubs to celebrate. However, on New Year’s Eve all places are full, and in case you want to spend the night out, you have to make a reservation a long time before that.

In the big cities such as Istanbul, Izmir, and Ankara concerts and shows with various programs are performed In Ankara, people gather in the Kizilay Square, while in Istanbul New Year is celebrated with grandiose festivals, which have large public attendance. Fireworks are another essential tradition and last for hours after midnight. Then comes the time when people start giving each other presents similar to the Christian Christmas tradition.