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Festivals and Events in Turkey
January Festivals

New Year’s Day: as popular in Turkey as it is in the rest of the world, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day result in large-scale revelling throughout the country with Istanbul in particular a hotbed of all-night partying largely fuelled by alcohol, despite strong Muslim sensibilities.
April Festivals

National Sovereignty Day: marking the opening of the Grand National Assembly in 1920, this patriotic festival is held on 23 April. The event holds strong connotations for Turkish children, to whom the holiday is dedicated. Children and adults take the day off school and work; and usually the holiday is celebrated as a family occasion.
September/October Festivals

Ramadan: the Muslim month of fasting takes place usually in October or September depending on the lunar calendar. This is a period in which Turkish followers abide by the rules as much as anywhere else in the Islamic world. Things can slow down throughout the country a little at this time.
October Festivals

Republic Day: one of the biggest national holidays in Turkey, Republic Day on the 29th marks the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire in 1923. The event usually begins the afternoon before and therefore lasts for a day and a half, dominated by partying and colourful celebration.