Yılbaşı

In Turkey, yılbaşı is centered on the night of 31 December, leading into the public holiday on 1 January. It is a secular celebration rather than a religious one, and many people mark it at home with relatives or close friends. During the last days of December, streets, shop windows, and malls are decorated with lights, artificial snow, and New Year trees. On the evening itself, families prepare a long dinner table with meze, nuts, fruit, börek, dolma, and very often roast turkey, because hindi is strongly associated with the date. Small gifts may be exchanged, and many households buy a Milli Piyango ticket for the famous year-end draw.

As the evening continues, people watch yılbaşı television specials, variety shows, and the lottery broadcast while waiting for midnight. Some celebrate outside in restaurants, hotels, or busy city districts, but the home gathering remains typical. When the clock turns, people hug, call relatives, send messages, and say “Mutlu yıllar” or longer wishes for health, peace, and luck in the coming year. On 1 January, offices and schools are closed, so the day is usually slow: people sleep late, check lottery results again, visit family, and eat leftovers or a late breakfast. The holiday is less about daytime ceremonies than about the long shared night before it.

The pack has 36 words spread across these domains.