How is Turkish Christmas celebrated in a country with most Muslims? They celebrate New Year’s Eve instead of Christmas!

Turkey is a Muslim country, and Turks do not celebrate Christmas as such.

Although not really, because of the many European tourists who come here in December.

You will find streetlights, Christmas trees, and even decorated shop windows.

You can also meet Christmas celebrations, but for most Turks, they have no religious significance.

Although Christmas in Turkey does not have the magical touch we usually associate with this time, that does not mean it does not exist.

When is Christmas celebrated in Turkey?

Since the vast majority of the Turkish population follows Islam, Christmas in Turkey is practically not celebrated. Christmas Day and Christmas Eve are completely normal days.

Christmas is celebrated, albeit to a much more limited extent than we generally imagine, only by small groups of the Christian population. For example, Christmas services are held in Christian churches. In Turkish, Merry Christmas is called Mutlu Noeller.

New Year’s Eve is celebrated much more in Turkey. It is known as Yılbaşı gecesi and is one of the biggest holidays. Families gather for dinner together, there are lots of New Year’s Eve specials on TV, and just before midnight, the big national lottery is drawn. Bingo is also traditionally played.

Do you know Turkish Christmas traditions?

It may come as a surprise to many that in Turkey, you can find a Christmas tree or rather a New Year’s tree Yılbaşı Ağacı in the squares and homes. It was decorated on December 31st and taken down on January 1st.

Turks welcome the new year with a kiss, dancing, and singing under the mistletoe. Most of these celebrations are accompanied by the traditional drink raki. Many neighborhoods in cosmopolitan cities such as Istanbul, Izmir, and Ankara mark the turn of the new year with lights and special decorations.

Typical New Year’s traditions include sprinkling salt on the doorstep and throwing a pomegranate on the ground, which are said to bring good luck in the coming year. Unlocking the padlock is said to bring wealth.

Who brings the children’s presents?

Even though Turks do not believe in Christmas, many give gifts on New Year’s Eve. Children believe that Noel Baba brings them to them, who is actually a kind of St. Nicholas ancestor and various Santa Claus variants.

Noel Baba lived in the 4th century, and his name was Nicholas. He lived with his wealthy family in a place called Patara, which was a city located on the southwest coast. When his parents died, he inherited a huge fortune. After some time, he decided to join the church; he was a bishop in Myra, known today as Demre.

Nicholas was generous and kind, so he climbed onto the roofs of houses and threw coins into people’s chimneys. One day, he was caught in the act, and his identity was revealed, and so the story of Santa began.

A popular gift is red underwear. There is a saying that if you wear red underwear on the last night of the year, you will have good luck next year. Another popular gift is a Milli Piyango New Year’s lottery ticket.

What is eaten in Turkey at Christmas?

On the night of New Year’s Eve, a celebration is being prepared in almost all Turkish households. Today, the main course is often a stuffed roast turkey inspired by English-speaking countries.

It is complemented by traditional Turkish dishes such as kebab or kofta and small spicy meatballs. As a side dish, various salads are served, such as Rocca, which contains tomatoes, cheese, arugula and nuts, meat, tomato kisir, and burgers or chosen.

For dessert, a New Year’s Eve cake with chestnuts is served, symbolizing the Turks’ happiness. Other typical sweets are Turkish honey, baklava, and tulumbou. There are also bowls with various types of fruit on the table.

The traditional drink is raki, a strong alcoholic spirit made from figs, dates, and grape wine flavored with anise.

How to prepare your choban salad?

Choban salad is a light vegetarian salad that can be prepared in minutes. The name actually means shepherd’s salad because it was originally eaten by shepherds.

Ingredients:

• 2 cucumbers, seeded and cut into pieces
• 4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and cut into pieces
• 1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup feta cheese cut into cubes
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup of black olives cut into slices
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Method:

1. Add diced cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, feta cheese, olives, and parsley to the bowl.
2. When cutting the ingredients, try to keep the same size.
3. Add olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper flakes.
4. Mix thoroughly.
5. Since the salad contains vegetables, it releases additional juices after being covered with dressing, which gives it its specific taste.

What places to visit in Turkey at Christmas?

Most of us associate Turkey primarily with summer vacations. If you decide to spend Christmas in Turkey, you can look forward to much fewer tourists, more peace to admire the sights, and pleasant temperatures.

• Istanbul – Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul, is ideal for a winter vacation. Istanbul offers a variety of places to visit, from famous mosques and palaces to fascinating museums and peaceful gardens. The city is decorated for Christmas, similar to most Western cities, but everything is much calmer.

• Ephesus – lovers of antiquity can spend Christmas holidays in the beautiful city of Ephesus, which was once a center of trade and religion and still exudes a wonderful atmosphere thanks to its numerous temples, houses, and basilicas.