Ramadan dates

2007 (1428): Sep 13 - Oct 11
2008 (1429): Sep 1 - Sep 29
2009 (1430): Aug 21 - Sep 19
The festival of Eid ul-Fitr is held after the end of Ramadan and may last several days. Exact dates depend on astronomical observations and may vary from country to country.

Official holidays

Jan 1: New Year's Day

National holidays

Apr 23: National Sovereignty and Children's Day (anniversary of the establishment of the Turkish Grand National Assembly)
May 19: Atatürk Commemoration and Youth & Sports Day (the arrival of Atatürk in Samsun, and the beginning of the War of Independence)
Aug 30: Victory Day (victory over invading forces in 1922).
Oct 29: Republic Day (anniversary of the declaration of the Turkish Republic)

Religious holidays

Seker Bayrami: Three-day festival during which sweets are eaten to celebrate the end of the fast of Ramadan.

Kurban Bayrami: Four-day festival when sacrificial sheep are slaughtered and their meat distributed to the poor.

The dates of these religious festivals change according to the Muslim lunar calendar and thus occur 10-11 days (the exact difference between Gregorian and Lunar calendars is 10 days and 21 hrs) earlier each year. According to this; Seker Bayrami will be celebrated on 23-24-25 October 2006, and 12-13-14 October 2007, and 30 September-1-2 October 2008. Kurban Bayrami will be celebrated on 31 December 2006-1-2-3 January 2007, and 20-21-22-23 December 2007, and 8-9-10-11 December 2008.