“How to Write Hıdırellez Wishes and Wish a Rose Tree: A Guide to Hıdırellez Rituals”
Hidirellez Beliefs: Rituals and Superstitions for Abundance
In some regions of Turkey, the night before Hıdırellez, each member of the household marks and puts a coin in a bag. The bag is left at the foot of a rose tree, and on the morning of Hıdırellez, the bag is opened, with the belief that it brings abundance. Many cities, including Bursa, have a tradition of sweeping the front of their door towards the house on the morning of Hıdırellez, inviting good energy and prosperity.
Another Hıdırellez ritual is writing wishes or intentions on paper and leaving it to flow down a stream, with the belief that if the paper falls into the water with the writing face up, wishes will be granted. Additionally, in some regions such as Balıkesir and Çanakkale, women visit the water’s edge to wash their hands and faces with this water before sunrise on the day of the holiday.
In Çanakkale, another practice involves burying beans under the rose tree on the evening before Hıdırellez, with the wish that it will come true if the beans sprout until the morning of the holiday. These Hıdırellez beliefs and rituals are still observed in many regions of Turkey, with the hope that they will attract abundance, prosperity, and good luck.
