TURKEY FESTIVALS
Turkey have more than 1000 festivals. Turkey has no shortage of fascinating folkloric traditions. Turkey is also a cauldron of classical and modern festivities, drawing classical stars such as Zubin Mehta, Monserrat Caballe and Elizabeth Schwartzkopf, and popular acts by Sting, Seal or Smashing Pumpkins to create an ongoing extravaganza of international talent. Tukey had a lot of cultural festivals and most of them have guets from other countries and this is posble by the globalization, this open doors, let us know about diferent cultures, but, people can forget a culture or your traditions to focus on modern and wonderful things that the globalization can offer, like the technology.
Religious festivals
Ramadan or Sugar Feast is the most important festival in Turkey; Ramadan is not celebrated on the same date and begins 11 days earlier each year. The Muslim month of daylight abstention from food, water, tobacco and sexual relations. The Ramadan Feast in Turkey is a time for visiting relatives and paying one’s respect to older people. Many Turks give away sweets and desserts during the festival, and children may watch free Turkish shadow plays.
Many people wake up early on the first day of the Ramadan Feast. They put on their best clothes, called bayramlık, which they often buy specifically for the occasion, and have a large breakfast. This symbolizes the end of the fasting period, which many Muslims observe during the preceding month of Ramadan.
The symbols of the Ramadan Feast include:
- A new moon.
- Sweets or traditional desserts.
- A cup of Turkish tea or coffee.
Feast of Sacrifice is a four day religious festival. Feast of Sacrifice
traditions in Turkey include sacrificing an animal in a special ritual.
In this religius festival men of each family go to a mosque for a special
morning prayer. Then the sacrifice ritual begins. In some regions in Turkey,
people paint the sacrificial animal with henna and adorn it with ribbons and
the butcher reads a prayer before slaughtering the animal.
Families share about two thirds of the animal's meat with relatives and
neighbors, and they give about one third to the poor people.
The main characteristic of the Feast of Sacrifice is that people, neighbours,
relatives and friends pay visits and go to see each other. People usually
wear their best clothes during the Feast of Sacrifice. They welcome guests
to their homes or visit relatives or friends during the holiday. Young people
greet their older relatives and neighbors by kissing their hand as a sign of
respect.
The symbols of the Feast of Sacrifice (Kurban Bayrami) include;
- Sacrificial sheeps
- Morning prayer in the mosque
- Delicious traditional foods
- A cup of Turkish tea or coffee
- Best wishes and blessings
- Visiting relatives and neighbors
Cultural festivals
Cultural festivals are most interesting in cities and resorts that have the resources to attract internationally renowned acts. Folk-dance festivals provide an opportunity to see Turkey’s best dance troupes perform a sample of the varied repertoire of Turkish dances in traditional costumes. There’s a full festival calendar for İstanbul:
January:
Camel wrestling Selçuk. The festival itself takes place on the last two weekends, though bouts occur throughout Aydın province from December onwards. Camel wresting is a sport in which two male Tülü camels wrestle, typically in response to a female camel in heat being led before them.
April:
İstanbul International Film Festival is the first and oldest international film festival in Turkey, organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV). Is held in theaters in Istanbul, Turkey. The aim of this festival is to promote the development of cinema in Turkey and promote quality films in Turkish cinema market
May:
Celebrations conquest. This festival is a week celebrating the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople old. In this cultural festival we can appreciate military concerts of Ottoman Mehter band processions, costumes and fireworks.
Selcuk Ephesus Festival. Every year in the ancient theatre is the organized this festival by Selcuk Counsil and takes place in the center of town. Lots of Culture, Art, Music events takes part with locals.
International Istanbul Puppet Festival. Is a celebration of Turkish Shadow Theatre, or karağöz – silent puppets tell their tale behind a two-dimensional screen.
İstanbul International Theatre Festival This event take place even-numbered years since May to June and will bring theatre lovers close to 100 performances by 7 foreign and 33 Turkish theatre, dance, and performance companies across 13 different venues. There ara dance and workshops as well as theatre performances.
Hıdırellez Gypsy festival. Is the most famous and the biggest Romani dance and music festival in Turkey. Is a celebration of the coming of spring, with gypsy bands performing, dancing in the street and jumping over bonfires. May 5–6, in this date alza is celebrating the Takava Gypsy Festival Kirklareli in Edirne.
June–July:
Oil wrestling also called grease wrestling, is the Turkish national sport. It is so called because the wrestlers douse themselves with olive oil. Competitors from all over the country tangle with each other in the country’s major, week-long oil wrestling event, plus lots of music and dance events. Late June or early July.
Kafkasör Festival Artvin. Is a fighting between young bulls in a beautiful alpine setting, plus performances from folk-dance troupes and musical events and lots of drinking. Is celebrating in the last days of June.
Pir Abdal Musa Tekke. Is a festival with rites honouring the second most important Alevî saint after Hacı Bektaş Veli; early June.
İstanbul International Classical Music Festival İstanbul Performances by top soloists and orchestras, often in historic venues.
Efes Pilsen One Love İstanbul. Is a summer festival since 2002, has had
80 groups and 1543 artists. Is a weekend-long festival, with plenty of DJ-led dance sets and performances from international bands and local bands.
Rock N’ Coke. It is traditionally held at the Hezarfen Airfield in Istanbul, Turkey. The festival is organized by the Turkish concert organizer Pozitif. At the end of every summer, the Hezarfen Airfield is used as a venue for a two day chain of concerts, with both national and international performers featured.
International İzmir Festival Month-long classical music, pop, ballet and jazz festival with many international names performing at Ephesus theatre and Çeşme castle.
Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival has been organized by the Turkish State Opera and Ballet with international participation by opera and ballet companies from several different countries. The theatre is noted as one of the best preserved antique theatres in the world, with many original features of the building remaining intact.
İstanbul Jazz Festival offers a selection of jazz music performances with the participations of famous artists from all over the world. The festival is organized by the Istanbul Foundation of Culture and Arts.
August
Haci Bektaş Veli Commemoration. This festival has become, in the last decade, the main public event of Alevism in Turkey. It is characterized both by its undetermined nature between religion, culture, folklore and politics, and by the diversity of its participants and scenes.
September–October
Bodrum Ballet Festival Centred on the castle, and emphasizing ballet and opera
İstanbul Biennial aims to create a meeting point in İstanbul in the field of visual arts between artists from diverse cultures and the audience.
Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival is a film festival, held annually since 1963 in Antalya, is the most important film festival in Turkey.
Tourism and Handicrafts Festival. The festival is organized by Avanos Municipalitiy, to make the region's handicraft tradition known, especially pottery which is a tradition since to many years in this region