Christmas in Istanbul: 5 Last Minute Ideas

Some of you may already have your flawless Christmas plans in place; spending all day in your tiny Istanbul apartment kitchen, trying to recreate those special dishes from your family’s Christmas dinners, and coming up with creative substitutions (like crushed Pringles in place of the fried onions on your green bean casserole). You’ve already downloaded all your favorite holiday movies to watch with your closest friends and a bottle of Buzbağ: A Christmas Story, Home Alone, Elf. To top it all off, your Christmas tree is twinkling in the corner of your living room, surrounded by Christmas presents waiting to be opened.  If so, then this article is probably not for you. Just stop reading now and get back to baking your Christmas cookies and fruitcake.

This is for those of us who just didn’t get it together this year, and who are now frantically trying to figure out what to do to celebrate this çok important day.  Outwardly, there may not seem to be a lot going on in Istanbul to make Christmas different from any other day, but here are a few last minute suggestions to help you get in the Christmas spirit this year!

1. Christmas Mass

There are a few churches around the city that offer masses and Christmas services in English, but don’t expect to hear all the same traditional Christmas songs you would back home. The experience may be slightly different from what you’re used to, but celebrating together with so many people from all over the world is something that shouldn’t be missed.

St. Antoine Church on Istiklal Street has Christmas Eve Mass at 8:00 p.m. and Christmas Day Mass at 10:00 a.m (in English), 11.30 a.m (in Polish and Italian) and 18.00 p.m (in Turkish).  The Crimean Memorial Church near Galata Tower has Anglican services in English on Christmas Eve at 8:00 p.m. and Christmas Day at 10:00 a.m. Finally, the Union Church of Istanbul has Christmas Eve services at 6:00 p.m., and 9:00 p.m.

2. Christmas Dinner

If you are on the Asian side, try Ristorante Il Padrino on Caddebostan, which will be serving Christmas Day lunch and dinner all day. Be sure to make a reservation for dinner so that you don’t get turned away!

3. Christmas Lights

As a kid, my family would pile into the car and drive around town admiring all the lights and houses decked out in Christmas decorations. An Istanbul alternative to that is a leisurely stroll down Istiklal Street, or in the Nişantişi neighborhood, window shopping and taking in all the holiday lights and decorations. Bonus: Snack on some roasted chestnuts from the street carts and stop in Özsüt for warm sahlep topped with cinnamon.

4. Ice-Skating

Make your Christmas into a winter wonderland, and show off your best ice-skating moves (or just try not to fall on your popo). Try out MetroCity’s (off the Levent Metro stop) small ice rink, Icessporto, located just upstairs from the front entrance. It’s open all day, every day.

5. Donate to Charity

Since Christmas is a time for giving, why not do some holiday shopping for someone who really needs it? There are many people in Turkey who could use food, clothing, and toiletries. You may be able to donate items to charities such as Caritas, TYSD, or Türk Kızılayı.  You can also give cash donations to Koruncuk Vakfı, a foundation that works with orphanages, on their website or through any local bank.

Let us know how you will be spending your holidays in the comments below.

This post was originally published in December of 2013. It was updated for relevance on December of 2018.