Istanbul city, connecting Europe and Asia, can surprise you not only with sights, delicious traditional food, and Turkish hospitality but always with different winter weather. It can be a sunny, slightly frosty day, but can please, to such a native European soul, a snowfall.
New Year celebrations in the traditional night from December 31 to January 1 in the Turkish land appeared not so long ago in 1935. Earlier, after the change of the Julian calendar calculus to the Gregorian calendar in 1926, the first January Saturday was considered the holiday date. At the same time, for almost half a century the New Year was an ordinary working day, the Turkish government decided to make it a day off only in 1981.
As is known, the lion’s share of the population of Turkey is Muslims, and the tradition of putting Christmas tree and the new-year spruce for Christians and Catholics is not welcomed by them. More precisely, this custom is not welcomed by the clergy. But in recent years there has been an active Europeanization of the country, so the Christmas trees, dressed with colorful lights and tinsel, are increasingly appearing in Turkish homes. Also, the Turks, rejecting all religious background, actively buy gifts and arrange entertainment.
Join the Bosphorus new year cruise: https://istanbulnewyear.com/party/new-year-party-bosphorus-boat/
December 31 in Turkey, like in Europe, is considered a working day, but, as a rule, it is shortened. Various state institutions, schools, post offices close their doors immediately after dinner, grocery stores and shopping centers also often work not until the evening. A huge number of people prefer to spend the holiday in the central city squares, so on New Year’s Eve, the streets are as overloaded as possible.
