Thinking of a New Year’s Eve trip somewhere and pondering where you could go? Why not Turkey? New Year’s Eve is one of the most popular and richly celebrated holidays in Turkey. Traditions around this holiday include the standard family dinner, a national lottery and a midnight countdown. We’ll go over how much a New Year’s Eve costs in Turkey, what the weather will be like, what are some of the traditions associated with it and how Turkey celebrates the new year.
How is New Year’s Eve celebrated in Turkey?
New Year’s Eve in Turkey
New Year’s Eve is actually one of the most popular holidays in Turkey. In Turkish, it is called Yilbasi Gecesi. Standard New Year’s Eve traditions include a family dinner, a draw in the national lottery and a countdown to midnight. Turkey is usually served for dinner, after which the older gents and gals play games in anticipation of midnight. Back in their day, bingo was the absolute top game for New Year’s Eve. Turkish TV channels start broadcasting celebrations from all over Turkey early in the afternoon, presenting lottery results and the backstories of the lucky few. Family members also commonly give each other small gifts as well at midnight.
After a family dinner, most young people leave home to celebrate with friends in clubs and bars. In the city’s main squares, such as Istanbul’s Taksim Square, people gather to dance and watch fireworks.
The Big New Year’s Lottery in Turkey
Where to buy tickets for the Turkish New Year’s Lottery?
Lottery tickets can be bought in many places around the city. Queues get quite long, as the main prize is millions of euros. Turks love to read about the annual lottery winners. You can buy tickets yourself, of course, when you’re in Turkey or online, as digital tickets. A single ticket costs around 15 €, and you can also buy half-tickets and quarter tickets.
New Year in Turkey
Turkish New Year traditions
As in every culture, Turkey also has a number of traditions related to good luck for the New Year. The most popular of these is the one associated with a pomegranate. To receive favour in the new year, one should sprinkle the juice of this fruit on the front door. Alternatively, there’s also the less messy option of sprinkling salt on the door. As a gift, family members often give each other red underwear, also supposed to bring success in the coming year.
Prices on the New Year’s Eve in Turkey
What is the best place to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Turkey?
How pricey is New Year’s Eve in Turkey? For an average hotel for the new year, you’ll pay around £600 for 7 days. For a typical 7-day holiday at the end of December, Turkish prices can vary from £550 to £950. The cheapest offer we found was £340. As you can see, it’s not the end of the world, especially in the cheaper variants, though these will certainly have less to offer for New Year’s.
One of the most beautiful places to spend the New Year in Turkey is definitely the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul. Spending New Year’s Eve in one of the restaurants by the water or directly on a boat is a guarantee of an unforgettable night adorned with the illuminated city and fireworks. Istanbul is, generally, a very popular place for Turks to spend New Year’s Eve. Every major city, like Ankara, for instance, will provide you with a range of attractions. Whichever region of Turkey you choose, spending New Year’s Eve there will be a great choice.
See where to spend New Year’s Eve and choose the best city for it: Istanbul, Antalya, Alanya, Side, Izmir.
Weather for New Year’s Eve in Turkey
What will the temperatures be like for New Year’s Eve in Turkey?
Turkey is long and wide, so it’s impossible to give you a one-fits-all answer. You can have dozens of degrees of difference between one spot in Turkey and another. As such, for a more detailed look at winter in Turkey, click here.
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