Holidays and Observances: Jan 1New Year's Day (a holiday to celebrate the end of the year which has passed and the beginning of a new year. This holiday starts in the afternoon of December 31 and continues until the end of January 1. People start sending greeting cards for the coming of the new year from a few weeks before. Some people send greetings by telephone only. Buying small gifts for family and friends is also becoming common. Preparing a variety of foods, social gatherings and having fun by playing the most common New Year's game tombala (bingo), listening to music and watching television, as TV channels broadcast their best programs, are among the things enjoyed over this holiday. Some people prefer traveling, going to resorts to ski or to places of entertainment on the New Year's Eve.) MonTueWedThuFriSatSun

Holidays and Observances: Feb 14 Valentine’s Day (the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other by sending Valentine’s cards, presenting flowers, or offering confectionery.) MonTueWedThuFriSatSun

Holidays and Observances: March 21 Newroz (It means ‘New Sun’ and ‘New Day’ and though celebration vary Kurdish people gather together and welcome the coming of spring.) MonTueWedThuFriSatSun

Holidays and Observances: April 23 Sovereignty and Children's Day (anniversary of the establishment of Turkish Grand National Assembly On this date in 1920 the Turkish Grand National Assembly was established in Ankara by Mustafa Kemal. As this was the written record of the transition from a religious community to a nation, this date was accepted as a national holiday. From 1929 onward it was declared as the first Children's Day in the World by Kemal Ataturk, as he acknowledged the importance of children for the futures of nations. ) MonTueWedThuFriSatSun

Holidays and Observances: Mother’s Day (the second Sunday of May) (a day to honor mothers and motherhood.) May 19 is "Ataturk Commemoration, Youth and Sports Day". (On this date in 1919, Mustafa Kemal set foot on Anatolia at the Black Sea port of Samsun which marks the beginning of his organizing the nationalist forces before the Independence War.) MonTueWedThuFriSatSun

Holidays and Observances: Father’s Day ( the third Sunday of June) ( a day honoring fathers, celebrated on the third Sunday of June. It complements Mother's Day, the celebration honoring mothers.) MonTueWedThuFriSatSun

Holidays and Observances: July 1 Shipping and Cabotage Day ( It symbolizes transfer of power for cargo and passenger transport in Turkish territorial waters to Turkish citizens and ships of Turkish flag from foreigners.) MonTueWedThuFriSatSun

Holidays and Observances: August 30 "Victory Day". (On this date in 1922, the fifth day of the big attack against the Greeks, the Dumlupinar Battle under the command of Mustafa Kemal was won and determined the result of the Independence War. This big attack ended in Izmir with the defeat of the Greeks on September 9.) MonTueWedThuFriSatSun

Holidays and Observances: Seker Bayrami, or Festival of Sugar ( a 3-day national festival marking the end of the Moslem holy month of Ramazan (Ramadan). It is a happy time spent socializing and exchanging gifts of Turkish delight and other sweets.) MonTueWedThuFriSatSun

Holidays and Observances: October 29 "Republic Day". (The Republic of Turkey was proclaimed by the Turkish Grand National Assembly in 1923.) MonTueWedThuFriSatSun

Holidays and Observances: Kurban Bayrami (the most important religious holiday, commemorates the near sacrifice of Isaac by his father Abraham. God spared the child, allowing a lamb to be sacrificed instead. Throughout the country, those who can afford it sacrifice an animal in memory of this event and reserve some portions of the meat for the needy). MonTueWedThuFriSatSun

Holidays and Observances: December 31 New Year’s Eve ( This holiday starts in the afternoon of December 31 and continues until the end of January 1. ) MonTueWedThuFriSatSun