In Turkey, you'll find decorated trees and store windows, lighted streets and buildings, retail sales, skinny Santas on street corners, and lottery ticket sellers all in the name of celebrating the New Year. A few weeks before Christmas, stores began hauling out decorations for people to ready their homes for the coming of the new year and Noel Baba (Santa) on New Year's Eve. Noel Baba brought gifts into homes last night as well as families prepared elaborate dinners and firework were shot off from all around. We feel like we had two Christmases! Here are a few pictures to share of what it was like.
Symphony playing at an outdoor mall
Suspended lights on a street
Buy a blow up Santa from an enthusiastic Santa?
Special New Year's Eve cakes at a bakery
Quartet of Santas playing in the street
There is also the tradition of buying a lottery ticket for New Year's. The top prize for the new year challenges everyone to get at least one ticket. Many people ask their friends in other cities to buy and send tickets to them. This year's top price was worth 20 million YTL, or about $15 million US dollars.
Bye Bye 2009
Hello and Welcome 2010!
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