FESTIVITIES

Hacı Ali Saruhan İlköğretim Okulu. Turkey

Comenius Project

2010-2011

FESTIVALS IN TURKEY

More than 100 festivals are held in Turkey every year. Along with festivals of

local scale held in almost every city of the country, cultural events and other

festivals of international reach are also organized in major metropolitan

centers such as Istanbul, Ankara, İzmir and Antalya.

Istanbul is the most important center of festivals. In the summer months, a

number of music festivals are held in Istanbul. Many are organized by and

associated with prominent names in Turkey's private sector.

The Pamukbank Dance Days brings world famous dance groups to Istanbul.

The Efes Pilsen Blues Festival, which celebrated its 10th year in 2006, hosts

well-known blues and jazz groups. The Akbank International Jazz Festival

provides the opportunity of improvisation and jam sessions between Turkish

musicians and jazz masters of the world. The Yapı Kredi Art Festival with its

concerts ranging from rock and roll and pop music to classical music and jazz

is actually a series of events around the year. Fuji Film World Music Days is

yet another important music festival.

İzmir is notable for hosting the oldest festival activity in Turkey, within the

frame of multi-theme İzmir International Fair held in the first days of

September, and organized by İZFAŞ, a depending company of İzmir

Metropolitan Municipality. The musical and other cultural events that take

place at the same time as the commercial fair had started out as an auxiliary

activity to attract popular interest for the fair, but over the years the festival

became a school by itself.

Fairs, festivals and events

Camel Wrestling Festival-Selcuk (near Ephesus) January

Ankara International Film Festival March

1915 Sea Victory Celebration-Canakkale March

Istanbul International Film Festival April

Traditional "Mesir" Festival-Manisa April

International Children's Day-Ankara (April 23) April

International Ankara Music Festival April

Tourism Fair-Gaziantep April

Tulip Festival-Istanbul April-May

Javelin Games-Erzurum April-May

Ankara International Arts Festival April-May

International Nyssa Culture and Arts Festival-Sultanhisar, Aydin May

Ephesus International Festival of Culture and Tourism-Selcuk May

Yunus Emre Culture and Art Week-Eskisehir May

Aksu Culture and Art Festival-Giresun May

Ankara International Caricature Festival May

International Music and Folklore Festival-Silifke May

International Yachting Festival-Marmaris May

International Kilim Festival, Usak-Esme May

Kakava Festivities-Kirklareli May

International Asia-Europe Biennial-Ankara May-June

Formula One races - Istanbul June

Bartin Strawberry Festival-Bartin June

International Tea Festival-Rize June

International Offshore Races Istanbul and Izmir June

Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival - Antalya June

Foca Music, Folklore and Water Sports Festival-near Izmir June

Marmaris Festival-near Mugla June

Bergama Festival-near Izmir June

Atatürk Culture Festival-Amasya June

Kafkasör Culture and Art Festival-Artvin June

International Kus Cenneti (Birds Paradise) Culture and Tourism

Festival-Bandirma June

International Pamukkale Song Competition June

International Kahta Komagene Festival June

International Beach Volleyball Tournament - Alanya June

Finike Festival - near Antalya June

International Wine Competition-Ürgüp June

Tekirdag Cherry Festival June

International Carpet and Rose Festival-Isparta June

Cesme Sea and Music Festival-Cesme June-July

International Izmir Festival June-July

International Bursa Festival June-July

Istanbul International Art and Culture Festival June-July

Traditional Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling-Edirne June-July

International Music Festival-Istanbul June-July

Ihlara Tourism and Art Week-Aksaray June-July

International Erzurum Congress-Erzurum July

Tourism and Culture Festival-Iskenderun July

International Istanbul Jazz Festival July

International Folk Dance Festival-Samsun July

Ceramic Festival-Kütahya July

Nasreddin Hoca Festival-Aksehir, near Konya July

Hittite Festival-Corum July

Manavgat Tourism Festival - near Antalya July

Kusadasi Tourism Festival July

Egridir Lake Festival - near Isparta July

Nevsehir Festival July

Devrek Baston (walking stick) and Culture Festival - Zonguldak July

Avanos International Handicrafts and Pottery Exhibit - Nevsehir July

Troy Festival-Canakkale August

Insuyu Festival-Burdur August

Haci Bektas Veli Commemoration Ceremony-Nevsehir August

Mengen Chefs Festival-Bolu August

Pine Grove Ayder Mt. and Archery Festivities - Rize August

Izmir International Fair-Izmir September

Ertugurul Gazi Commemoration Ceremony-Sogut September

Seyh Edibali Commemoration and Culture Festival-Bilecik September

GAP Culture and Art Festival-Gaziantep September

Javelin Games-Konya September

Kemer Carnival - near Antalya September

International Meerschaum (Luletasi) Festival-Eskisehir September

Safranbolu Architectural Treasures and Folklore Week-

Safranbolu September

Sivas Congress Culture and Art Week-Sivas September

International Grape Harvest Festival-Ürgüp September

International Fair-Mersin September

Yagci Bedir Carpet Festival-Sindirgi, Balikesir September

Culture and Art Festival-Diyarbakir September

Assos International Art Festival September

Adana Altin Koza (Golden Cocoon) Film Festival September

Eskisehir International Festival Sept-

October

Golden Pistachio Festival-Gaziantep Sept-

October

International Plastic Arts Festival Sept-

October

International Akdeniz Song Contest-Mediterranean Sept-

October

Mersin Art and Culture Festival Sept-

October

Altin Portakal (Golden Orange) Film Festival-Antalya October

Ahi Brotherhood Cultural Week October

International Bodrum Sailing Cup October

International Gullet Biennial-Bozburun (near Marmaris) October

International Triathlon Competition - Alanya October

International Ataturk Dam Sailing Competition-Sanliurfa October

International Yacht Race-Marmaris November

International St.Nicholas Syphosium-Demre, near Antalya December

Mevlana Commemoration Ceremony-Konya December

Turkish holidays

Turkish holidays

Official holidays

National holidays

Religious holidays

Official holidays

Jan 1: New Year's Day

National holidays

Apr 23: National Sovereignty and Children's Day (anniversary of the

establishment of Turkish Grand National Assembly)

May 1: Labour and Solidarity Day (recently added in 2009)

May 19: Atatürk Commemoration and Youth & Sports Day ( the arrival

of Atatürk in Samsun, and the beginning of the War of Independence)

Aug 30: Victory Day (victory over invading forces in 1922).

Oct 29: Republic Day (anniversary of the declaration of the Turkish Republic)

Religious holidays

Ramadan Feast : Three-day festival when sweets are eaten to celebrate the

end of the fast of Ramadan month.

Sacrifising Feast: Four-day festival when sacrificial sheep are slaughtered

and their meat distributed to the poor.

The dates of these religious festivals change according to the Islamic

calendar an thus occur 10-11 days (exact difference between Gregorian and

Lunar calendars is 10 days and 21 hrs) earlier each year.

We want to give more details about the four celebrations in Turkey .

Ramadan Feast

Ramadan Feast is celebrated after 30 days of fasting. It lasts three days and

people don’t work during those days. Fasting is an Islamic obligation for the

Muslim people and Christians and Jewish people also have similar restrictions

to learn the self-control and to understand how the hungry and thirsty people

feel. The people who want to thank God for the blessings fast from sunrise to

sunset during the thirty days of the month of Ramadan, considered as the

sultan of the twelve months. The people who have some health problems and

the people who have to make a travel don’t do this service.They can do this

service later or they should give some money to the poor people to release

their hunger. Fort he celebrations, members of the families wear their best

clothes and they both visit and are visited by their relatives, offering each

other Turkish delights, chocolates or other kinds of sweets. Along with the greetings

the habit of the hand kissing of the elders is seen (children usually get money after

that). A visit to the cemetery is also a custom.

.

Ramadan lantern decorations Ramadan Street Decorations

Hıdırellez

Hıdırellez or Hıdrellez (Turkish: Hıdrellez or Hıdırellez, Azerbaijani: Xıdır

İlyas or Xıdır Nəbi, Crimean Tatar: Hıdırlez, Romani language: Ederlezi) is

celebrated as the day on which Prophets Hızır (Al-Khidr) and Ilyas (Elijah) met

on the earth.[1] Hıdırellez starts on May 5 night and falls on May 6 in

the Gregorian calendar and April 23 in the Julian calendar. It is celebrated

in Turkey [2] and throughout the Turkic world. It celebrates the arrival

of spring and is a religious holiday for the Alevi as well. Đurđevdan is the

Christian variety of this spring festival throughout the Balkans.

Etymology

Hızır and Ilyas, the names of the two prophets, fused together, forming the

name of the festival, Hıdırellez.

History

There are various theories about the origin of Hızır and Hıdırellez. Various

ceremonies and rituals were performed for various prophets with the arrival of

spring or summer in Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Iran and

other Mediterranean countries from ancient times.

One widespread belief suggests that Hızır has attained immortality by drinking

the water of life. He often wanders on the earth, especially in the spring, and

helps people in difficulty. People see him as a source of bounty and health, as

the festival takes place in spring, the time of new life.

Celebrations

The Hıdrellez celebrations are usually held near the forests , woods , places

with trees. The people belive that the drink made of the boiled flowers of the

new spring ,they get healthier and they get younger if they have a shower with

that water during 40 days. The people believe that if they make a maquette of

their wishes like house, car and put that under a rose tree, their wish come

true. And also people wish something and bind a piece of fiber to a wish tree

and wait Hızır to make their wishes come true. Also people jump over fire to

catch goodness and to leave the badness.

.

SOME PHOTOS FROM THE HIDIRELLEZ CEREMONIES

A wish tree

Jumping over the fire ceremony

Celebration with the folk dances

Hidirellez celebrations with a band in Istanbul. People pin pieces of paper on which they

have written a wish

NOWRUZ ( NEVRUZ )

Nowrūz, meaning "The New Day" is the name of the Iranian New

Year in Iranian calendars and the corresponding traditional celebrations.

Nowruz is also widely referred to as the "Persian New Year".

Nowruz is celebrated and observed by Iranian peoples and the related cultural

continent and has spread in many other parts of the world, including parts

of Central Asia, Caucasus, South Asia, Northwestern China, the Crimea and

some groups in the Balkans. It is celebrated on the day of the

astronomicalNorthward equinox, which usually occurs on March 21, signifying the

Spring Equinox. The UN's General Assembly in 2010 recognized the International

Day of Nowruz, describing it a spring festival of Persian origin which has been

celebrated for over 3,000 years. Today, the festival of Nowruz is celebrated in

many countries.

Spring cleaning and visiting one another

Further information: Spring cleaning

Spring cleaning, or 'complete cleaning of the house' is commonly performed

before Nowruz. Some Nowruz celebrants believe that whatever a person does

on Nowruz will affect the rest of the year. So, if a person is warm and kind to

their relatives, friends and neighbors on Nowruz, then the new year will be a

good one.In Nevruz celebrations fire is important like Hıdırellez.. This festival

is the celebration of the light (the good) winning over the darkness (the bad);

the symbolism behind the rituals are all rooted back to Zoroastrianism.

Jumping over the fire means , "My yellowness is yours, your redness is mine,"

with the figurative message "My paleness (pain, sickness) for you (the fire),

your strength (health) for me." The fire is believed to burn out all the fear

(yellowness) in their subconscious or their spirit, in preparation for new year.

Rebirth of the nature…

APRIL 23 NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY AND CHILDREN’S DAY

The Grand National Assembly of Turkey was established on 1920, April 23,

and to commemorate the event, April 23 was proclaimed a national holiday in

1921. Since 1927 it has also become Children's Day "The Holiday of National

Sovereignty and Children"), an official holiday dedicated to the children of

Turkey and (from 1979 on) the world. The day is celebrated annually in Turkey

with spectacular activities.This day is a gift to all the children by the great

leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

In addition to holding many domestic celebratory events such as stadium

performances, Turkey also houses TRT International April 23 Children's

Festival, where groups of children from other countries are invited to

participate in the festivities while staying at Turkish families' homes.

PHOTOS FROM THE CEREMONIES

(This Photo is from the 19 May Commomerating Atatürk and Youth Day )