Religion Does Not Forbid New Year Celebration

The Religious Affairs Directorate, which announced formerly that celebrating the New Year’s Eve had no place in Islam, changed its mind at the very last moment. The Directorate stated that Christmas was a religious holiday, while the New Year’s Eve was universally celebrated, like Mothers’ Day. A statement written on the Religious Affairs Calendar stressed that celebrating the New Year in a way inspired by the celebrations of Christianity was not compatible with Islam. However, Religious Affairs Director Ali Bardakoglu corrected these expressions yesterday. Bardakoglu stated that Christmas was a holiday of Christianity, while New Year celebrations were a part of universal culture similar to Mothers’ Day.Â