I´ve heard about red underwear bringing luck but in Poland this superstition goes with a secondary school ball, something like prom in the US but it takes place 100 days before final exams. Wearing red underwear on the ball night is supposed to bring good luck to girls during exams. Boys have to stay away from a barber and not cut their hair till after the exams

i haven´t heard about any New Year´s Eve traditions and I come from a country that loves their supersitions...we just get together, get drunk and kiss everyone we see at midnight (quite a challenge of you go to celebrate in a public place). That´s basically it

I dont believe also red underwear and luck..It is good for shops to sell and profit...

Breaking NEWS!

On the last day of December, I went to an office. They were playing Christmas Songs!

I ate at a restaurant, which was packed with New Year´s Eve leaflets - all decorated with bows, bells and Christmas trees!

On my way home I passed a butcher´s shop where I saw a frozen Turkey in a neat Thanksgiving costume!

In the evening, every fifth person on the street was wearing a Santa Claus hat...

Watching New Year´s Eve footages next day on Tv, I (yet again) saw Santa Clauses visiting poor children, giving them presents. I saw a Christmas tree popping up on the screens after the clock hit midnight at an outdoor party.

Is it possible that it was not just New Year´s Eve, but also Saint Nicholas Day, Christmas and Thanksgiving?

Pictures from http://kozyurt.blogspot.com/ and http://taheny.com

hahaha

that´s true

although there is no Christmas in Turkey, most Christmas traditions are applied on New Year´s Eve.

actually, many people think they are the same, i mean they think christmas is on 31st dec.

old people start complaining because we are celebrating christmas etc.

Christmas is not a festivity whose celebration is enforced by civil laws in any country. Turkia is no exception. Though a great majority of people celebrate the day for religious reasons, some people may have other reasons.

1. Against the contrary belief, Turkia is not a Moslem country. Turkish citizens belong to a variety of faiths, one of which is Christianity. It s therefore perfectly normal. (a)for those Christian citizens to  follow this established custom of their religion, and (b) for non Christian citizens to share the joy of their Christian neighbors on this peaceful and jubilant occassion.

Only few idiots remain unable to share this universal joy and think within narrow limits of "We are all moslems here; why feel jubilant on Christmas?". The saddest part for me is that these idiots justify their negative stand via Islam, as if Islam can ever be against the celebration of Jesus´s birthday, for Jesus is a prophet according to Holy Quran.

2. On more pagan side; Christian or not, Turkish citizens have another very good reason to celebrate Christmas. The most colorful character of the occassion, Santa Claus is a Turk, a very old friend of my great-great grand fathers´ ....Believe it or not !

inanmıyorum 

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/12/21/turkey.saint.nicholas/index.html

No doubt about it Henry !

Christmas is not a festivity whose celebration is enforced by civil laws in any country. This is true. But majority of turkish people (probably this includes YOU) are unaware that Christmas is on 25th of December. I have not seen anyone in Turkey (except Christians like Turkish-Greeks, Turkish-Armenians, etc) doing ANY celebrations on 25th of December nor on Christmas Eve (night of 24th of December).

Besides, you have no right to refer to people as idiots because they are not celebrating something.

Moreover, it is probably correct that Santa Claus, or more correctly Saint Nicholas, has lived in Demre, which belongs to Turkey at the moment. However, he is believed to live in 4th century, during which Turkish people (more correctly, Turkic people) were living in Middle Asia! Therefore, he was probably GREEK, not Turkish.

Christmas is a Season, not just a day.  Christians celebrate it from the beginning of Advent (the forth Sunday before Christmas) until the Epiphany (January 6th). 

About Advent:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent

About the Epiphany:  http://catholicism.about.com/od/holydaysandholidays/p/Epiphany.htm

We have many faiths (or lack of faith in some cases) in my family and manage to sit through meals and several hours of merriment without incident!  I agree with you Alpha that it should be a time of universal joy.  Everyone just needs to relax and enjoy eachother...something we don´t do very much during the year.   

I think it is also worthwhile to add that while December 25 is the date recognized by western christians, the Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate Christmas on January 7.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas#Orthodox_Christian_Churches

 I had forgotten that tomac.  Thanks for reminding me.  I guess in my post, I should have been more specific and said "Catholics" and not "Christians." 

Orthodox Christianity also celebrate Easter the Sunday after Catholics (and most other Christian demoninations) as well.

In any case, I don´t usually take down my Christmas decorations until January 6th...Do you think I should leave them up for an extra day in honor of Othodox Christmas?