Ministry of National Education sends letter to schools: New Year's will not be celebrated

The Ministry of National Education (MEB) has sent a letter directing that New Year's and Christmas celebrations should not be held in public schools.

The Ministry stated that the celebrations in question do not align with Turkey's customs, traditions, and national values, and announced that it does not deem the organization of such events in schools appropriate.

The instruction, conveyed by the MEB through provincial and district directorates of national education, mandates that events held in schools must be in accordance with Turkey's national and cultural values.

The letter emphasized that, in addition to New Year's, Christmas, and similar events, celebrations contrary to cultural values, such as Halloween, should also not be held.

In a letter sent on December 16 signed by Ataşehir District Director of National Education İsmail Yıldırım, the following statements were included:

"Activities such as any kind of raffles, celebrations, and any digital, written, or visual content sharing related to them, held under the name of New Year's, Christmas, Halloween, etc., which are contrary to national and cultural values, must not be carried out in schools affiliated with our directorate."

While New Year's celebrations are generally organized to mark the arrival of the new year, Christmas is a religious holiday based on the Christian faith. However, it is known that in Turkey, New Year's celebrations do not carry a religious meaning and are more associated with entertainment and the excitement of the new year. In this context, the scope and justifications of the ban have created a wider area of debate.