While Istanbul is a Muslim community, you’ll find it hosts a large expatriate community who love to have Christmas parties and always come up with creative ways to celebrate the holidays.
Night Before Christmas Pop-Up
Typically this was an annual Christmas dinner that started at 8:30 pm that was hosted by Popup Dinners Istanbul that featured a traditional meal including roasted turkey, ham, and Mom’s Yorkshire pudding.
To create a festive atmosphere, they had a Christmas carol sing-a-long and a gift exchanging session. While the party was scheduled for December 24th, it’s currently been canceled in 2020, due to COVID-19. We can only hope it will back next year, as it’s one of the best in Istanbul.
Latin Christmas Party
This Spanish-themed Christmas party was held in Azùcar, a Latin bar and restaurant in Cihangir that was opened by Venezuelan ex-pat, Yohenys Flores. The party started at 10:30 pm on Christmas Eve as a lively casual party with Latin dancing and carols to get you in the holiday spirit. The entrance fee was TL 50 and included your first drink.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 has also brought an end to this spicy tradition and possibly Azucar too.
