Novy God (New Year) Tree was also installed in the Moscow House of the Unions. An invitation to the Yolka at the Palace of Unions became a matter of honour for Soviet children. After the dissolution of the USSR, stigma against religion subsided amidst renewed public interest. History of the Turkish New Year tree A Turkish New Year tree, in Turkish "Yılbaşı Ağacı", looks the same as a Christmas tree with Christmas ornaments. It is called a New Year tree because it is specific to the New Year and, with about 95% of Turkey's population Muslim, most Turks do not celebrate Christmas. After the modernisation of Turkey, the Islamic calendar and the fiscal calendar were replaced by the Gregorian calendar and New Year celebrations started in the late 1920s. The celebrations became popular in Turkey and Christmas trees were brought into the country as New Year trees. Since then, the custom of setting up a tree for the New Year is a traditional event in Turkey. It is usually put up between the beginning of December and the end of January, the mid date being New Year's Eve. Also, the habit of giving presents at Christmas was changed to the giving of New Year presents. The New Year tree can be considered an example of westernised Turkish culture or Turkified European culture. Also, there is evidence showing that the Turkic tribes celebrated winter solstice with a wish-making tree, a tradition called Nardoqan which could be the ancestor of the modern Christmas tree according to some historians. Vietnamese and Cantonese custom Planting a New Year tree or cây nêu is also a Vietnamese custom that is part of the springtime Tết festival. Often a bamboo pole serves as the "tree". Hoa đào (in Northern) or Hoa mai (in Southern) and kumquat trees are also decorated and displayed in Vietnamese homes during Tết. In Cantonese, the new year tree is called Nin Fa (, literally New Year Flower). Bamboo is just one of the new year trees for the Cantonese, the others being mandarin and peach. The mandarin plant is called Kat (), which is a homophone to , standing for good luck. The peach flower stands for good relationships; love is one of the relationships, so it's also a wish for love. See also Christmas tree Hanukkah bush New Year Ceremonial pole Kadomatsu References External links New Statesman article on Russian