Melon Day

Melon Day is an annual national holiday in Turkmenistan devoted to festivities to celebrate the country's muskmelon, in particular a recent crossbreed product named "Turkmenbashi melon" (after Turkmenistan's first president), which is praised for its aroma, taste and large size. It takes place on the second Sunday in August.

Melon Day
Melons and watermelons in Ashgabat
Observed by	Turkmenistan
Type	National
Date	Second Sunday in August
2020 date	August 9  (2020-08-09)
2021 date	August 8  (2021-08-08)
2022 date	August 14  (2022-08-14)
2023 date	August 13  (2023-08-13)
Frequency	annual
First time	1994

This holiday was established by Turkmenistan’s then-president Saparmurat Niyazov in 1994, who preferred to be known as Turkmenbashi, or leader of the Turkmens. The day's celebrations feature a large display of the fruit in all its varieties, as well as a series of dance and music events, in the country's capital Ashgabat.

In his address to farmers in 2004, President Niyazov said: "Almighty God has turned Turkmen soil into a fertile source of an abundance of the tastiest fruits. Among them are Turkmen melons, which are the result of farmers' hard work and which have a unique taste reminiscent of the fruit of paradise." In newspapers Niyazov has been quoted as saying, "The Turkmen melon is the source of our pride. Its taste has no equals in the world, the smell makes your head spin."[1]

Melon Day is among 24 public holidays of Turkmenistan – typical titles of which are Drop of Water is a Grain of Gold Festival, Festival of the Poetry of Magtymguli, Good Neighborliness Day, Racing Horse Day, and Carpet Day.