Turkey celebrates its national holidays with a warmth and pageantry that every visitor should experience at least once. Among them, one stands apart: April 23, National Sovereignty and Children’s Day, is the only national holiday in the world that is dedicated to children. The same spirit of celebration carries through the rest of the Turkish holiday calendar, from the parades of Republic Day to the family gatherings of the religious festivals. Understanding these holidays will help you plan your travels, join the celebrations, and see a side of Turkish life that the monuments alone cannot show. This guide explains each holiday and how Turks celebrate them.
The National Holiday Calendar
Turkey’s official holidays are set by law, and they fall into two groups. The national holidays, known as bayram in the broadest sense, honor the founding of the republic and the events of the War of Independence, while the religious holidays follow the Islamic lunar calendar and move through the seasons.
The fixed national holidays include New Year’s Day on January 1, National Sovereignty and Children’s Day on April 23, Labour and Solidarity Day on May 1, Commemoration of Ataturk, Youth and Sports Day on May 19, Victory Day on August 30, and Republic Day on October 29. Democracy and National Unity Day on July 15 was added to the calendar in 2017.
On these days, schools, offices, and banks close, and the flag of Turkey flies from homes and public buildings. Public transport often runs a holiday schedule, and museums and attractions may keep different hours, so it pays to check in advance.
April 23: National Sovereignty and Children’s Day
April 23 is the most joyful of Turkey’s national holidays because it belongs to children. The date marks the opening of the Grand National Assembly in Ankara in 1920, when the new Turkish state began to take shape during the War of Independence.
In 1929, the founder of the republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, dedicated the day to the children of Turkey and, later, to the children of the world. Since then, April 23 has been celebrated with school ceremonies, parades, and performances in which children take center stage.
Every year, delegations of children from many countries are invited to Turkey to take part in the celebrations, staying with Turkish families and performing in the festivals. In the cities and towns, schoolyards fill with music and dance, and the children take over the seats of officials in a playful ceremony that symbolizes the trust placed in the young.
Republic Day: October 29
Republic Day, celebrated on October 29, is the most important national holiday in Turkey. It commemorates the proclamation of the republic in 1923, when the new state replaced the Ottoman Empire and began its modernization under Ataturk.
The day is marked with official ceremonies, speeches, and a torchlight procession through the streets of Ankara, the capital. The Turkish flag appears everywhere, and the evenings fill with concerts and fireworks in the squares of the major cities.
October 29 also begins a stretch of holidays: the day is a public holiday, and the government often extends the closure to give the country a longer break. Many Turks travel during this week, so hotels and transport book out early, and the coastal cities enjoy a final burst of autumn tourism.
Victory Day: August 30
Victory Day, celebrated on August 30, honors the decisive battle of the War of Independence, the Battle of Dumlupinar of 1922, which ended with the final defeat of the occupying forces and led to the liberation of the country. It is a day of military pride.
The celebration is led by the armed forces. In the capital, the president reviews the troops and lays a wreath at the mausoleum of Ataturk, and military ceremonies take place across the country. In Istanbul, the day is also the last day of the traditional military parade on the Bosphorus.
For visitors, August 30 is a day of flags, music, and ceremony. It is also the end of the peak summer season, and many Turks take the opportunity for a final seaside holiday before the schools reopen in September.
Youth and Sports Day: May 19
May 19 is the day dedicated to the youth of Turkey and to sports. The date remembers the arrival of Ataturk at the Black Sea port of Samsun in 1919, the event that began the national struggle for independence.
The day was given to the young as a sign of trust in the future of the nation, and it is celebrated with sports events, gymnastics displays, and youth rallies in schools and stadiums. In Samsun, the celebrations are the grandest, with ceremonies at the statue of Ataturk.
The official name of the holiday, Commemoration of Ataturk, Youth and Sports Day, brings the three elements together. For visitors, it is a lively day of marching bands, athletic displays, and students in the streets, and it shows how central the young are to Turkey’s sense of itself.
Democracy and National Unity Day: July 15
July 15 is Turkey’s newest national holiday, added to the calendar in 2017. It commemorates the failed coup attempt of July 15, 2016, and honors the citizens who took to the streets to defend the democratic order.
The day is a somber one compared with the other national holidays. Ceremonies are held across the country, and the evening is marked with vigils and commemorations, especially in Istanbul and Ankara, where the events of that night were most intense.
The July 15 Martyrs’ Bridge, as the Bosphorus bridge was renamed, is the symbolic center of the commemoration. For visitors, the day is a moment to understand the recent history of Turkey and the meaning that the country attaches to its democratic institutions.
Labour Day and New Year
Two secular holidays round out the fixed calendar. May 1, Labour and Solidarity Day, is a public holiday that recognizes the rights of workers, and it is marked with gatherings and speeches in the cities. The celebrations have a long and contested history in Turkey.
New Year’s Day on January 1 closes the year and opens the next. The eve of New Year is celebrated with family dinners, the famous year-end lottery draw, and fireworks over the Bosphorus, and the first day of January is a quiet public holiday.
Neither holiday carries the national pageantry of the others, but both matter for travelers: shops close, transport runs on holiday schedules, and the cities fill with their own seasonal atmosphere.
The Religious Holidays
Beyond the national holidays, Turkey observes two religious festivals that follow the lunar calendar. The first is Ramazan Bayrami, the three-day festival that ends the month of fasting, and the second is Kurban Bayrami, the Festival of Sacrifice, which lasts four days.
During Ramazan Bayrami, families visit one another, children receive sweets and small gifts, and the mood is one of warmth and generosity. Kurban Bayrami is marked by the ritual sacrifice of an animal, with the meat shared among family, neighbors, and those in need.
The dates of these festivals move roughly eleven days earlier each year, so they fall in different seasons. Travel during them is busy and joyful: many Turks take holidays, transport fills, and the kitchens of the country turn out their best traditional sweets.
How Turks Celebrate
The style of celebration differs with each holiday, but some habits are shared. The Turkish flag is the centerpiece of the national holidays, hung from balconies, shopfronts, and the windows of passing cars, and schoolchildren march in parades with flags and banners.
The religious festivals, by contrast, center on the home and the mosque. People dress in their finest clothes, the men attend the morning prayers, and the day is given to visiting, eating, and giving. The table, with its sweets and special dishes, is the heart of the celebration.
Music is everywhere. The national holidays bring marching bands, folk dancers, and concerts to the squares, while the religious festivals bring the streets to life with the visits of family and the calls of the peddlers selling sweets to the children.
Practical Tips for Visitors
The holidays are wonderful times to be in Turkey, but they require a little planning. Banks and government offices close, and some shops and restaurants keep shorter hours, so arrange your currency and your errands before the holiday begins.
Public transport, especially intercity buses and domestic flights, fills up quickly before the long holiday weekends. Book your tickets and hotels well in advance, and expect the roads to be busy with holiday traffic as families travel to their hometowns.
If you want to see the celebrations, join the crowds in the squares of the big cities, attend the ceremonies at the museums and monuments, and watch the children’s performances on April 23. The holidays are the moments when Turkey celebrates itself, and the visitor who joins in is welcomed with open arms.
Frequently asked questions
What are the main national holidays in Turkey?
Turkey’s main national holidays are Republic Day on October 29, Victory Day on August 30, National Sovereignty and Children’s Day on April 23, and Youth and Sports Day on May 19. The calendar also includes New Year’s Day, Labour Day on May 1, and Democracy and National Unity Day on July 15. The two religious festivals, Ramazan Bayrami and Kurban Bayrami, are also public holidays, but their dates move with the lunar calendar.
Is Children’s Day in Turkey really for children?
Yes. April 23 was dedicated to children by Ataturk in 1929, making Turkey the first country to give a national holiday to children. Schools hold parades and performances, children take part in official ceremonies, and delegations of children from many countries are invited to Turkey each year to join the celebrations. It remains one of the most heartwarming holidays on the Turkish calendar.
Do shops and attractions stay open on Turkish national holidays?
Most banks, government offices, and schools close on national holidays, while museums and major attractions usually stay open, sometimes with special programs. Shops in the tourist areas and the big shopping malls generally keep normal hours. Public transport runs on holiday schedules, and intercity buses and flights fill up quickly, so booking in advance is the wisest approach during any Turkish holiday period.
All Over Information
The All Over Information editorial team researches and writes practical English-language guides to Turkey. Facts are checked against official and local sources before publication, prices are published as dated ranges rather than quotes, and guides are revised when things change. We accept no sponsored posts, paid placements or paid links.
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