Click to read the article in Turkish
Hıdırellez, symbolizing the arrival of summer, will be celebrated today and tomorrow (May 6) in the north-western province of Edirne as part of the Kakava - Hıdırellez Festivals.
Edirne Mayor Recep Gürkan announced that they have been expecting about 100 thousand visitors to celebrate the Kakava - Hıdırellez Festivals this year.
The celebrations, which are known as Kakava in Thrace in Romani culture, are known as "Hıdırellez" in Anatolia.
Kakava is one of the most important days of the year for the Romani people in Turkey. On the other hand according to Turkish and Islamic beliefs; on the day of Hıdırellez, major spiritual figures Hızır (Al-Khidr), and İlyas (Elijah), meet on earth, heralding the arrival of summer and the warming of the weather.
According to a belief that dates back to 6 thousand years ago, tonight (May 5), blessings will come to the places that Hızır visited and all the wishes made will come true within the year if Hızır visits your house. For this reason, people leave food containers, warehouses, and money bags open tonight.
According to the belief, Father Hızır Baba is wearing a robe composed of various flowers, and roses bloom where he steps, and nightingales begin to sing. This symbolizes the arrival dynamism of spring and the arrival of summer as well.
As part of Hıdırellez celebrations, big festivals are held every year in Turkey, in Edirne, İstanbul Ahırkapı, and İzmir Tepecik Neighborhood regions.
Hıdırellez was registered in the "UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage National Inventory" in 2017 as a result of the coordinated effort by Turkey and Macedonia.
(AÖ/TB/VK)
