Arriving in Turkey in the days leading up to the New Year, you could be forgiven for thinking that they’ve left the Christmas decorations up everywhere, except that those trees and other decorations are actually there to celebrate New Year (Yılbaşı), the Turks having slowly absorbed almost all the traditions of the Western Christmas except the religious ones and then time-shifted them onto the New Year. “Mutlu Yıllar” say the those banners strung across the street. Happy New Year!
Most of the four and five-star hotels will serve turkey with all the trimmings on New Year’s Eve. Their websites will have the details. You’ll probably need to book ahead and prices are rarely cheap.
Increasingly there are New Year celebrations all around the country although predominantly in İstanbul, Ankara, Cappadocia, İzmir and the coastal resorts. In deepest Anatolia you shouldn’t expect to find much awareness of the event and certainly no alcohol with which to celebrate it.
It used to be that İstanbullus would flock to Taksim Square to see in the New Year just as Londoners flock to Trafalgar Square. Nowadays, however, all gatherings in the Square are prohibited.
Don’t overlook that 1 January is a public holiday in Turkey which means that banks, post offices and government offices will be closed (most will also close on the afternoon of 31 December too).
It’s as well to be aware that there is a small coterie of hardliners in Turkey who don’t think Muslims should be celebrating what they deem a “Christian” holiday. However, their antics are usually more entertaining than threatening – mock-circumcising blown-up Santas, for example, or chasing figures in Santa costumes across roofs while dressed as Janissaries.
Read more: http://www.todayszaman.com/news-334496-how-christmas-became-the-new-year-the-turkish-christmas-story.html
