The ram is an important symbol for the Sacrifice Feast in Turkey.

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1 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. The ram is an important symbol for the Sacrifice Feast in Turkey. 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. Traditionally, on the first day of the Sacrifice Feast in Turkey, men of each family go to a mosque for a special morning prayer. Then the sacrifice ritual begins. In some regions in Turkey, people paint the sacrificial animal with henna and adorn it with ribbons. The butcher reads a prayer before slaughtering the animal. Families share about two-thirds of the animal s meat with relatives and neighbors, and they traditionally give about one-third to the poor. In recent years, some Turkish people started making donations to charity organizations instead of sacrificing animals. Many people in Turkey take special care to help the poor during the Sacrifice Feast. People usually wear their best clothes during the Sacrifice Feast. They welcome guests to their homes or visit relatives or friends during the holiday. Many people in Turkey reserve the first day of the feast for visiting their closest relatives. Young people greet their older relatives and neighbors by kissing their hand as a sign of respect. Some people in Turkey may use the four-day holiday to go on a vacation. The Sacrifice Feast is an official four-day holiday in Turkey. Administration buildings, schools, banks and post offices are usually closed during this period. Supermarkets remain open, but may work on a special holiday schedule. Public transport may run less frequently during the Sacrifice Feast, and fares are usually lower compared to regular days. Highways may be overcrowded due to holiday travel. Because the beginning of the Sacrifice Feast coincides with the end of Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, both domestic and international travel in Turkey may be intense during this period. The Sacrifice Feast takes place in the four days following the 10th day of the Islamic month of Dhu al-hijja. The exact dates are determined using the Islamic calendar, whose months begin with the first sighting of a new moon. The Islamic calendar begins its count from 622 CE, the year in which Prophet Muhammed (the Turkish spelling) moved from Mecca to Medina. This calendar has been in use since about 640 CE. The common symbols of the Sacrifice Feast in Turkey are a ram (or a sheep) and a mosque.

2 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. Coffee and treats are consumed during the Ramadan Feast Eve. 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. The Ramadan Feast Eve can be an official holiday in Turkey if it falls on Monday, Friday or Saturday. If it occurs in the middle of the week, many workers get half a day off. Administration buildings, schools and post offices may be closed for the entire day or in the afternoon on this day. There may be traffic congestion on highways, as many people travel to other cities to visit their relatives. The Ramadan Feast Eve is the last day of Ramadan, which is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Each month in the Islamic calendar begins with the first sighting of the new moon. The Ramadan Feast Eve and the Ramadan Feast usually occur 10 days earlier than in the previous year, according to the Gregorian calendar. Caliph Umar (spelled as Ömer in Turkish) introduced the Islamic calendar around 640 CE. The calendar starts its count from 622 CE, the year in which Islamic prophet Muhammed (the Turkish spelling) moved from Mecca to Medina. The origins of observing the Ramadan Feat Eve go back to the Qur'an. The 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.

3 New Year s Day in Turkey starts with fireworks after the traditional countdown at the end of the New Year s Eve. Celebrations usually last until dawn and many people use the day off on January 1 to relax and visit friends and relatives. New Year's Day is celebrated in countries such as Turkey on January 1 each year. People living in big cities in Turkey traditionally celebrate the New Year in city squares, from where they can watch fireworks at midnight between New Year s Eve and New Year s Day. Small-town residents often try to come to bigger cities for the celebrations. In Istanbul, for example, many residents and visitors participate in festivities at Taksim Square. New Year s Eve generally ends with a countdown, but parties and street performances last until dawn. Late celebrations are also common for house parties with friends and relatives and festivities at hotels and restaurants. The morning of January 1 is usually quiet. People who celebrated the New Year s Eve in out-of-town locations, such as ski resorts, generally start returning home in the late afternoon. It is also common for people to visiting relatives and friends who were not around them on December 31 and for people to exchange small gifts to each other. New Year s Day is a public holiday and is generally a quiet day in Turkey on January 1. All administration buildings, schools and post offices, as well as most businesses are closed on this day. Public transport may run less frequently than usual because fewer people need to travel on this day. Highways may be overcrowded in the late afternoon because many people may be returning from out-of-town holiday centers. Turkey replaced the solar-based Islamic calendar (Rumi takvim), used in the Ottoman Empire, with the Gregorian calendar in Between 1926 and 1934 the New Year s celebrations were held on the first weekend after January 1. As part of Turkey s westernization program in the 1920s, this country borrowed many of today s New Year s traditions from Christmas, including Santa Claus, a fir tree and pine decorations. New Year s Day became a public holiday in Turkey in The New Year s tree, which is identical to Christmas tree in Christian countries, as well as images of Noel Baba (the Turkish name for Santa Claus) are the most common symbols of New Year s Day in Turkey.

4 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. Children actively take part in parliament on National Sovereignty and Children s Day in Turkey. istockphoto.com/ Ankaralı Turgut&duncan1890 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. 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. The first gathering of the Turkish Grand National Assembly took place on April 23, 1920, during Turkey s War of Independence ( ). Mustafa Kemal Ataturk proclaimed the parliament an important step toward building a new state after the Ottoman Empire was defeated during World War I. Ataturk reportedly dedicated the Turkish Republic to children in Turkey. Turkey officially celebrated Grand National Assembly Day on April 23 and held a children s week starting on that day, from The Turkish government then combined the two events into National Sovereignty and Children s Day in Turkish Radio and Television Corporation has been organizing international children s festivals, held during the week of April 23, since 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.

5 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. The Republic monument at Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey commemorates the formation of the Turkish Republic in 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. Republic Day is an official national holiday in Turkey. Public administration buildings, schools, post offices and many small businesses are usually closed on this day. Public transport schedules may vary. Public transport routes may change in the event of street performances and processions. The afternoon of the previous day, October 28, is also an official holiday. Republic Day marks the creation of the Turkish Republic in After Turkey s victory in the War of Independence ( ), the Turkish parliament proclaimed the new Turkish state as a republic. A new constitution, which the parliament adopted on October 29, 1923, replaced the constitution of the Ottoman Empire. The leader in the Turkish War of Independence, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, became the country s first president on the same day. According to Atatürk, Republic Day is Turkey s most important holiday. 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.