Turkey celebrates New Year, not Christmas Published Dec. 30, 2008 By Mehmet Birbiri 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs host nation advisor INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey -- You might have already noticed that shops throughout Turkey decorate their windows with pine trees, snow balls, red stockings and statues and pictures of St. Nicholas. It may seem as though Moslem Turks are observing Christmas like the Christians, but they aren't celebrating Christmas: They're marking the New Year. Many parties are held on New Year's Eve. Night clubs, luxury hotels and restaurants have special programs and menus, and radio and TV stations broadcast special programs lasting until morning. Generally, TV stations broadcast a program or film about St. Nicholas during the early evening on New Year's Eve for children. Although many programs and parties are offered by restaurants and night clubs, many families prefer having their own parties at home. Often, several families will get together to celebrate. The wives show off their cooking skills by preparing richly set tables, and everyone spends the evening eating, drinking, watching television, listening to music and dancing. These parties are heavily influenced by the American Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations, and turkey is becoming a popular main dish. Some families, especially in big cities, have Christmas trees as well. Gifts are exchanged for the New Year, and greeting cards are sent to friends and relatives. Another tradition for the New Year is to buy a lottery ticket. Although the National Lottery Administration holds three drawings a month with reasonable prizes, the top prize for the new year entices every one to buy at least one ticket. Many people ask their friends in other cities to buy and send tickets to them. This year's top prize is 25 million YTL.