festivities in turkey
DESCRIPTION
Comenius Project documentTRANSCRIPT
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 )