Turkish New Year Traditions: How Families Celebrate Yılbaşı
How Turkish families welcome the new year: the words to say at midnight, the family table, tombala and six ideas for a Turkish New Year at home.
In Türkiye, New Year's Eve is called Yılbaşı. The word means "head of the year": yıl is "year" and baş is "head". It is the night of 31 December and the first morning of January. Türkiye has used the Gregorian calendar since 1926, so the date is the same as in most of the world. For many families Yılbaşı is a night at home, with a big table, a game and a countdown. This guide shares the words, the games and the small habits, with ideas you can use wherever you live.
Words to say at midnight
Three short wishes are enough. Mutlu yıllar means "happy years", and people say it at midnight with a hug. Yeni yılınız kutlu olsun means "may your new year be a happy one". The ending -nız is the polite "your" for a group or an elder. İyi seneler means "good years to you". Say the wish first, then add a name, for example Mutlu yıllar, anneanne. Anneanne is a mother's mother, and babaanne is a father's mother.
Not sure how to say the letters? Our guide to Turkish proverbs has a short section on how to say them.
The family table
The center of Yılbaşı is the dinner. In many homes the table includes a roast turkey, hindi, along with salads, small starters and sweets. Nuts and dried fruit, called kuruyemiş, stay on the table all evening, and there is always tea. No two tables are the same. Some families skip the turkey and cook what they love, and that is fine. If you would like a story about the tea, read Simit and Tea: The Classic Turkish Street Pair.
Tombala, the family bingo game
Tombala is a bingo-style game that many families play on New Year's Eve. Each player gets a card with numbers. One person draws numbered tokens from a bag and calls them out. When a player completes a row, they call çinko. The player who fills the whole card calls tombala. Small wrapped prizes make it more fun for children.
A deck of cards is another easy choice. Pişti is a simple card game that many families know, and okey is a popular tile game. The Nazar Değmesin playing cards work for pişti and for many other games. For more ideas, browse puzzles and games.
A tree, lights and Noel Baba
Many homes put up a yılbaşı ağacı, a New Year tree, with lights and ornaments. Children may know Santa Claus as Noel Baba. Here is a fun fact to share with them: Saint Nicholas, the bishop who inspired the Santa Claus legend, lived in Myra, near today's Demre on the Mediterranean coast of Türkiye. If you like ornaments, the Simit and Tea Badge ceramic ornament is a small keepsake. You can see more in ornaments and magnets.
Count down in Turkish
The countdown is easy to do in Turkish, and children enjoy it. Count backward from ten: on, dokuz, sekiz, yedi, altı, beş, dört, üç, iki, bir. Then everyone says Mutlu yıllar! together. If your child is still learning the numbers, the audio book Pingucan and the Warm Simit is a Turkish counting story to listen to before the night begins.
The first morning of the year
A slow breakfast, kahvaltı, is a pleasant way to begin January. A Turkish breakfast table has many small plates, bread, olives, cheese and endless tea, and it is made for talking. For a full tour of the table, read Turkish Breakfast: What Is Actually on the Table. If you live far from your relatives, the first morning is a good moment to call them and say your wishes in Turkish.
Not the same everywhere
Traditions change from family to family and from city to city. Some families go out, some watch the countdown on television, and some treat it as an ordinary evening. What travels best is simple: the words, the games and the table. You do not need to copy anyone else's night. Pick the parts that fit your home.
Six ideas for a Turkish New Year at home
- Set a small table. Tea, nuts and something sweet are enough.
- Play tombala or cards. Keep a few small prizes ready for the children.
- Write wishes. A dilek is a wish. Each person writes one on a small piece of paper and reads it aloud at midnight. This is a family idea, not a fixed tradition.
- Pick a Turkish word for the year. Choose one from 15 Turkish Words Every Kid Should Hear Before Age 8 and use it all year.
- Send a card. Write Yeni yılınız kutlu olsun inside. The Simit and Tea Badge greeting cards come in a pack of ten.
- Hang a new calendar. The Roots & Talks Characters 2027 wall calendar is a gift that starts the year with familiar faces. See calendars.
Words worth knowing
- yıl: year
- yeni: new
- dilek: wish
- sofra: the table
- mutlu: happy
- kutlu: blessed, happy, worth celebrating
- hindi: turkey
- kuruyemiş: nuts and dried fruit
Say each word slowly with your family, then use it in a short wish.
Keep the new year going
If you are shopping for the men in your family, read Turkish Gifts for Him. If you are visiting a new home, our Turkish housewarming gift ideas include wishes you can say at the door. For more sayings, see What These Turkish Sayings Mean. You can see every design in the Turkish Culture Designs collection.