Learn all about Summer Vacation
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| Hello, and welcome to the Culture Class- Holidays in Turkey Series at TurkishClass101.com. In this series, we’re exploring the traditions behind Turkish holidays and observances. I’m Michael, and you're listening to Season 1, Lesson 10 - Summer Vacation. In Turkish, it’s called Yaz tatili. |
| Just like the winter holidays, and depending on primary and middle school policies, summer holidays can start from any time between the first week of June and last about three months until the second week of September. |
| In this lesson, you will learn about activities that take place during summer holidays. |
| Now, before we go into more detail, we’ve got a question for you- |
| Do you know the reason why some students in Turkey may have to cut their holidays short? |
| If you don't already know, you’ll find out a bit later. Keep listening. |
| After receiving their end-of-year school reports, students and teachers in state schools or in Turkish devlet okulu begin their three-month summer holidays. Generally, students who get good grades and pass their classes are rewarded with end-of-term gifts such as bicycles, roller-blades, or anything that can be enjoyed in the open air. Families also try to synchronize their holidays with their kids, and travel to the West or South shores of the country to stay in hotels or holiday villages. In Turkey, the summer holiday is pretty much synonymous with sea, sun, and the beach or in Turkish deniz, güneş ve sahil. |
| University students’ summer holidays generally begin in June and last until about mid-October. Due to the length of the holiday, many students prefer to stay in summer camps or yaz kampları where they can enjoy sports such as rafting, canoeing, surfing and beach volleyball. During summer holidays, both students and their families often stay in these camping areas. Everyone works together to put up the tents, make the camp fires, and have barbecues and picnics and have a good time. |
| Turks generally prefer to use up their annual leave in the summer. The Aegean region in particular, including places like Çeşme and Bodrum, is famous for its nightlife and scenic beauty, while the Mediterranean region enjoys a deeply rooted history and long stretches of soft sand in places like Antalya and Alanya. |
| Summer months are not that busy in big cities, since many people go away for their holidays. On the other hand flights are considerably more expensive in these months, July and August in particular. |
| Two indispensable parts of summer picnics are watermelon, or karpuz, and sunflower seeds or ayçekirdeği. Watermelon is often placed in the shallow parts of the sea to keep it cool, and is consumed along with feta cheese. Sunflower seeds, on the other hand, are the most famous companion to long summer conversations. |
| Now it's time to answer our quiz question- |
| Do you know the reason why some students in Turkey may have to cut their holidays short? |
| Students who are in the twelfth grade cut their holidays short to prepare for university admission and entrance examinations. Also, many middle school students take some time to get a head start on the high school entrance examination. |
| So listeners, how was this lesson? Did you learn anything interesting? |
| In your country, what do people prefer to do in the summer months? |
| Leave us a comment letting us know at TurkishClass101.com. And we'll see you in the next lesson! |
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