“Hıdırellez: Prayer, Traditions, and Activities for the 2023 Holiday Season”
Hıdırellez, a seasonal holiday celebrated in Central Asia, the Middle East, Anatolia, and the Balkans, is a tradition that attracts curiosity from many. Hıdırellez’s celebrations mark Ruz-ı Hızır, which is believed to be the day when Hızır, considered the helper of those in distress, and İlyas, the ruler of the seas, meet on earth. The tradition of Hıdırellez has been celebrated since ancient times and is marked by unique customs that are still popularly practiced today.
The 2023 Hıdırellez Festival celebrations will be held from May 5 to 6. The Hıdırellez holiday starts on May 5, 2023, and concludes on the afternoon of May 6, 2023.
Hızır, also known as Khidr, is believed to be a saint by Sufi circles, and some believe him to be a prophet. He is an old man with white hair, a beard, or as a beggar, disguised as a poor man who helps people in difficult situations, rewarding the good ones, punishing the bad ones, and bringing abundance and blessing. He is known to drink the “water of life” and will live forever. İlyas is widely believed to be a prophet and is considered the ruler of the waters. When Hızır and İlyas come together on Hıdırellez, they can power everything in nature.
Hıdırellez is marked by a number of unique customs. On the day of Hıdırellez, yogurt is stolen without adding yeast, and keeping the yogurt without yeast signifies that Khidr has entered the home. Wheat is placed in a mud house near a stream on Hıdırellez morning, which is believed to bring abundance and fertility to the house that year. Forty-one kinds of herbs and small, clean stones are gathered from the countryside on May 5, and the face is washed with the collected herb water on Hıdırellez morning, which is known to improve facial skin.
Boiled eggs are popular on Hıdırellez morning, fed to children to convey strong harvests. Dried legumes are hung in a bag from trees in the garden, and the hungry are fed, and meals are shared on Hıdırellez day. The Hıdırellez fire is lit, jumped over, and wishes are made on a piece of paper and buried under a rose tree. Girls who are having trouble finding a partner hang a new lock, and it is believed their fortunes will now turn around. A willow branch is hung on the house’s door on May 5th.
On Hıdırellez day, special prayers are recited, calling for Khidr’s blessing in difficult situations and asking for help in finding a way out. With all the unique traditions and celebrations, Hıdırellez is a holiday that conveys hope, abundance, and blessings to everyone. Since 2010, steps have been taken to include this cultural heritage in UNESCO’s “Intangible Cultural Heritage List of Humanity.”
