B1 · 41 words

Festivals and celebrations in Turkish

The big holidays, visits for the festival, engagement, henna night and wedding.

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For the two big religious festivals, Şeker Bayramı and Kurban Bayramı, family and neighbours visit each other, the young kiss the hand of the old (el öpmek), and there are sweets and kolonya. Then there are the national holidays, such as Republic Day on 29 Ekim. A date with an ending takes an apostrophe after the month, which is then capitalised: 29 Ekim'de “on 29 October”. A wedding has three stages: the engagement (nişan), the bride’s henna night (kına gecesi) and the wedding itself (düğün) with the civil ceremony (nikâh).

The words

Verb (6)

bayramlaşmakto exchange festival greetingsVerbB1

Bayram sabahı komşularla bayramlaştık.On the morning of the festival we exchanged greetings with the neighbours.

With whom: -le. Like selamlaşmak: both sides do it.

tebrik etmekto congratulateVerbB1

Seni yeni işin için tebrik ederim.Congratulations on your new job.

Whom: accusative; for what: için.

ağırlamakto host, to entertain (guests)VerbB1

Hafta sonu Almanya'dan gelen kuzenlerimizi ağırladık.At the weekend we had our cousins from Germany staying with us.

Whom: accusative.

Conjugation of ağırlamak →

nişanlanmakto get engagedVerbB1

Mehmet ile Zeynep geçen ay nişanlandı.Mehmet and Zeynep got engaged last month.

To whom: -le.

hediyeleşmekto exchange presentsVerbB1

Yılbaşında arkadaşlarla hediyeleşiyoruz.At New Year we exchange presents with friends.

süslemekto decorateVerbB1

Salonu balonlarla süsledik.We decorated the living room with balloons.

Noun (34)

bayramfestival, holidayNounB1

Bayramda bütün aile büyükannemin evinde toplanır.For the festival the whole family gathers at my grandmother’s house.

For religious and national holidays alike. The greeting: İyi bayramlar!

Şeker BayramıEid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan)NounB1

Şeker Bayramı üç gün sürer.Eid al-Fitr lasts three days.

Literally “Sugar Festival”; also Ramazan Bayramı. Holiday names are capitalised, endings take an apostrophe: Şeker Bayramı'nda.

Kurban BayramıEid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice)NounB1

Kurban Bayramı dört gün sürer.Eid al-Adha lasts four days.

The longer of the two festivals. Traditionally an animal is slaughtered and the meat shared with relatives, neighbours and people in need; many use the days off to visit family.

arifeeve of a festivalNounB1

Arife günü çarşılar çok kalabalık olur.On the eve of the festival the markets are very crowded.

Usually arife günü; often a half holiday.

resmî tatilpublic holidayNounB1

Yarın resmî tatil, bankalar kapalı.Tomorrow is a public holiday, the banks are closed.

Cumhuriyet BayramıRepublic DayNounB1

Cumhuriyet Bayramı her yıl 29 Ekim'de kutlanır.Republic Day is celebrated every year on 29 October.

A date with an ending: apostrophe after the month, month capitalised: 29 Ekim'de. Without a day: ekimde.

yılbaşıNew Year’s Eve, New YearNounB1

Yılbaşı gecesini arkadaşlarımızla geçirdik.We spent New Year’s Eve with our friends.

yılbaşı gecesi “New Year’s Eve”; written as one word with -ı: yılbaşında.

kutlamacelebrationNounB1

Kutlama gece yarısına kadar sürdü.The celebration went on until midnight.

törenceremonyNounB1

Okuldaki törene bütün aileler katıldı.All the families attended the ceremony at school.

yıl dönümüanniversaryNounB1

Bugün evlilik yıl dönümümüz.Today is our wedding anniversary.

A compound with -ü; the possessive replaces it: yıl dönümümüz.

kartcard (greetings card)NounB1

Bayram için büyükanneme bir tebrik kartı yazdım.For the festival I wrote my grandmother a greetings card.

Does not soften: kartı. Also a bank card: banka kartı.

davetiyeinvitation (card)NounB1

Düğün davetiyeleri dün postayla geldi.The wedding invitations arrived in the post yesterday.

davetliguest (invited); invitedNounB1

Düğünde üç yüz davetli vardı.There were three hundred guests at the wedding.

kolonyacologneNounB1

Misafirlere önce kolonya ikram ettik.We first offered the guests cologne.

Splashed on the hands as a welcome, especially on holidays.

lokumTurkish delightNounB1

Bayram ziyaretinde bize lokum ve kahve ikram ettiler.On our holiday visit they offered us Turkish delight and coffee.

harçlıkpocket moneyNounB1

Dedem bayramda bütün torunlarına harçlık verdi.My grandfather gave all his grandchildren pocket money for the festival.

The k softens before a vowel: harçlığım.

düğünwedding, wedding partyNounB1

Kuzenimin düğünü 17 Ekim'de, cumartesi günü.My cousin’s wedding is on 17 October, a Saturday.

The celebration; the ceremony itself is nikâh.

nişanengagementNounB1

Ayşe ile Can'ın nişanı geçen hafta yapıldı.Ayşe and Can got engaged last week.

At an engagement the couple exchange rings, often in front of both families.

nişanlıfiancé, fiancée; engagedNounB1

Elif'in nişanlısı Ankara'da çalışıyor.Elif’s fiancé works in Ankara.

nikâhcivil wedding ceremonyNounB1

Nikâhtan sonra herkes bahçede yemek yedi.After the ceremony everyone ate in the garden.

The â is long and makes the k before it soft.

gelinbride; daughter-in-lawNounB1

Gelin ve damat misafirleri kapıda karşıladı.The bride and groom welcomed the guests at the door.

damatgroom; son-in-lawNounB1

Damadın ailesi İzmir'den geldi.The groom’s family came from İzmir.

The t softens before a vowel: damadı.

gelinlikwedding dressNounB1

Gelinliğini bir terziye diktirdi.She had her wedding dress made by a dressmaker.

The k softens before a vowel: gelinliği.

kına gecesihenna night (before the wedding)NounB1

Düğünden bir gece önce kına gecesi yapılır.The henna night is held the night before the wedding.

The women of both families celebrate with the bride; her hand is dyed with henna.

takıjewellery (as a gift)NounB1

Düğünde akrabalar geline takı taktı.At the wedding the relatives pinned jewellery on the bride.

takı takmak: guests pin jewellery or money on the couple.

altıngold; gold coinNounB1

Teyzem bebeğe bir altın taktı.My aunt pinned a gold coin on the baby.

A usual gift at weddings and births.

halayhalay (line dance)NounB1

Düğünde herkes el ele tutuşup halay çekti.At the wedding everyone held hands and danced the halay.

You “pull” the halay: halay çekmek.

davuldrumNounB1

Köy düğününde sabaha kadar davul çalındı.At the village wedding the drums played until morning.

havai fişekfireworksNounB1

Yılbaşı gecesi gökyüzü havai fişeklerle doldu.On New Year’s Eve the sky was full of fireworks.

pastacake, gateauNounB1

Doğum günü pastasını annem yaptı.My mother made the birthday cake.

A false friend: not pasta — that is makarna.

mumcandleNounB1

Pastanın üstündeki mumları birlikte üfledik.We blew out the candles on the cake together.

ziyafetfeast, banquetNounB1

Düğünden sonra büyük bir ziyafet verildi.After the wedding there was a big feast.

eğlenceparty, entertainment, funNounA2

Eğlence sabaha kadar sürdü.The party went on until morning.

süsdecoration, ornamentNounB1

Partiden sonra süsleri toplamak bir saat sürdü.After the party it took an hour to clear away the decorations.

Phrase (1)

el öpmekto kiss someone’s hand (festival greeting)PhraseB1

Bayramda çocuklar büyüklerin elini öper.At the festival children kiss their elders’ hands.

The hand is kissed and briefly touched to the forehead.

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This list belongs to Everyday life in Turkey — four lists and 163 words that can also be practised as a whole.

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