Mustafa Kemal Aataturk was the one who started Children's Day in Turkey. After the Ottomans had fallen during World War I Turkey had been occupied by other European countries such as England, Italy and France. Ataturk was a commander who gave his army courage. After a while they fought against the Europeans and just like the Ottomans, they slowly took back control of their country. After Turkey was back in control of the Turkish people there was an election and Attaturk won the election. He started to build up the government and create what is today the Republic of Turkey.

Ataturk loved children and he often said: "Children are a new beginning of tomorrow". He even dedicated the day 23rd of April to the children which is today celebrated as Children's Day as well as the date when the Republic of Turkey was founded.

On April 23rd People from many countries from all countries all over the world and people from different countries give each other gifts. The United Nations participates and many people consider this a day of peace. Everybody wears their best clothes and shoes. The people who come celebrate and even do performances such as: national anthems, folk dances and many other things that are related to their countries.

There is no school so children enioy the day by celebrating by going to certain places like a mall where people can ice skate or a park and an arcade called The Pyramid. You can get any kind of gift like I got a basketball for children's day. I have a friend that got a playstation and another got a snowboard so this is a sort of Christmas in Turkey.

CHILDREN HELP TO RUN THE COUNTRY FOR ONE DAY

Children who take the president's place

There are certain children that are picked that take over the places of the government and they even let a lucky kid be the president of Turkey for a whole day and you can decide what's going to happen and whether or not you are going to have the president next to you. There are a very large number of possibilities of things you can do but some shops aren't open because they are celebrating as well.

Statue of Mustafa Kemal Aataturk,
creator of Children's Day and
founder of the modern country of Turkey.

Teenager's day is a day for teenagers and parents have to be extra nice since teenagers OFTEN have lots of fights with their parents.

Teenagers get to stay up late and go out but you only get to go out late . If they are lucky they might be allowed to stay up until I a.m.

I asked my parents and my relatives and some Turkish friends because I couldn't find much information from books and the internet