Hıdırellez is a cherished time in Turkish and Balkan cultures that heralds the arrival of spring, symbolising abundance and renewal. I was introduced to this tradition in my childhood. Like many children, I loved the activities of wishing, desiring, and drawing. On that special day, I would excitedly engage in these activities, feeling as if I were performing something magical. As I folded the paper with my wishes, it felt like placing them into a magical pouch. I wanted to write and draw my wishes perfectly, believing they would be read and fulfilled. Back then, without social media, we often forgot the day’s arrival until the last minute. I remember feeling sad about the years we missed. We would hear from neighbours or acquaintances, and it was usually just before the call to prayer. Then, realising “Today is Hıdırellez,” we would quickly draw our wishes on white paper and rush to place them under the rose bush before the call to prayer. This spontaneity made the memory even more exciting. I would wake up with curiosity, wondering, “What happened to my wishes?” I believed everyone performed this ritual on Hıdırellez. As I grew older, I met friends who said they didn’t believe in it or had never done it. For me, it was a magical time not to be missed, much like witnessing a crescent moon. Magical doors open, we express gratitude and make wishes. With a beautiful heart, you voice your hopes and intentions, and then miracles happen with abundance and prosperity.
Reflecting on my roots, I increasingly feel the consciousness passed down from my ancestors who lived across various Balkan lands. This consciousness perhaps draws me closer to such rituals that connect me with nature. When I feel lost trying to live in a big city, these traditions make me feel stronger and better. As a child, being told, “Gypsy, your ancestors!” created a negative perception within me. However, over time, I’ve realised how the Gypsy culture lives in harmony with nature, guided by intuition, filled with hope and light.
With migration to big cities, we’ve distanced ourselves from nature and forgotten many shamanic traditions like this. I’m fortunate to have memories of writing my wishes for Hıdırellez… I’ve learned that beautiful wishes and desires are real magic. Yet, our experiences, fears, urban insecurities, hopelessness, and news envelop us in a negative cloud. We forget that life is magical and that when we sincerely wish and read nature, it will endlessly present its miracles to us. Such times and traditions are truly valuable.
The Interwoven Tale of Ederlezi and Hıdırellez
When I began learning Romanian for citizenship, I discovered the meaning of this song. This Balkan folk song, Ederlezi, which gives me goosebumps when I listen to it, means Hıdırellez. While listening to this song, I feel the depth of Gypsy culture, the fresh energy of spring, and the herald of a hopeful tomorrow with enthusiasm. As I write this, I have it playing, listening to it repeatedly.
In the Balkans, especially among Rumelian Turks, Bosniaks, Albanians, and Roma, Hıdırellez is celebrated under the name “Ederlezi.” Popularised by Goran Bregović and featured in the film “Time of the Gypsies,” this folk song is actually an anonymous melody belonging to the Romani people. The essence of this music encompasses the arrival of spring, the awakening of nature, and people wishing hope for each other. On this special day, believed to be when Hızır and Ilyas meet on earth, there’s a profound belief in the acceptance of wishes.
As someone from a Balkan immigrant family, learning Romanian and discovering that this song narrates the Hıdırellez I’ve heard since childhood evoked different emotions in me. Moments from years ago, when we sang this piece with enthusiasm in a polyphonic choir, also came to mind.
Ederlezi is not just a song. It’s a feeling intertwined with spring, roots, wishes, music, and memory.
My favourite version of this song is:
The Profound Meaning, History, and Origins of Hıdırellez
As I mentioned, Hıdırellez is not just a celebration; for me, it’s a ritual that ignites the light within, carrying deep inner meanings. It’s a time to reconnect with nature. This day is also a festival believed to be when Prophets Hızır and Ilyas meet. Hope is the light that enables us to continue for our tomorrows. When the light goes out, we remain buried in darkness. Hıdırellez not only celebrates the arrival of spring but also serves as an occasion to wish for new beginnings, renewal, and abundance. And that hope is eternal. If we choose to see, it’s always reminded to us through nature.
The origins of Hıdırellez trace back to ancient Turkish and Central Asian cultures. It’s believed that Hızır and Ilyas meet. Hızır is a figure who accepts all wishes, revitalises life, and overcomes difficulties. Prophet Ilyas is a figure who brings mercy and abundance to people. Many cultures strengthen their bonds with nature on this special day and step into new beginnings.
The Tradition of Celebrating Hıdırellez
Hıdırellez is described in some traditions as the day following the first new moon of Taurus, but it’s generally celebrated on the night of May 5th. People jump over fires to make wishes and cleanse themselves of negative energies. Jumping over the fire symbolises purification and renewal. Another tradition involves going out into nature and leaving something as a symbol of rebirth. In some regions, decorations made with flowers and vegetables are placed around homes to invite abundance.
The reason for celebrating Hıdırellez on the night of May 5th is that it symbolises a seasonal transition based on the old calendar system:
- Winter days (Kasım Days): November 8 – May 5
- Summer days (Hızır Days): May 6 – November 7
Therefore, May 6th is considered the day Hızır descends to earth, marking the beginning of abundance and the summer season. The night of May 5th is the ritual night celebrating this transition. According to folk belief, it’s the day Hızır and Ilyas meet. It’s believed that every spring, Prophets Hızır (who revitalises nature) and Ilyas (who governs waters and abundance) meet on earth. This meeting occurs on May 6th; thus, people perform rituals on the night of May 5th to celebrate it. Around May 5-6, everything in nature is greening and blooming. People see this time as both the peak of spring and the moment when wishes are most powerfully accepted.
Rituals and Meanings of Hıdırellez
Hıdırellez not only celebrates the arrival of spring but also encompasses a series of rituals aimed at embracing newness, purification, and abundance. Every year, different traditions are practiced to honour this special day. Here are some of the most well-known rituals of Hıdırellez:
Jumping Over Fire: According to ancient beliefs, jumping over fire symbolises cleansing from negative energies and achieving physical and spiritual renewal. On Hıdırellez night, people light fires and jump over them, thus attaining both physical and spiritual purification.
Leaving Wishes on a Rose Bush: The rose bush is one of the most significant symbols of Hıdırellez. Roses symbolise both beauty and abundance. Wishes written on white paper are left on rose bushes. This ritual, along with a connection to nature, is believed to ensure the acceptance of wishes.
Wish Pouches with Red Ribbons: Intentions are placed into a red pouch, along with a bit of soil, flowers, sequins, and objects symbolising abundance. This pouch is either hung on a rose tree or kept throughout the year.
Leaving Offerings to Nature: On Hıdırellez night, people leave offerings to nature. Flowers, vegetables, or fruits are dedicated to nature. This ritual aims to express gratitude and ask for abundance in return. It is based on the idea of living in harmony with nature and creating a reciprocal relationship with it. Offering to the earth and the elements is one of the oldest practices of human history.
Placing Personal Items Under the Rose Bush:
Some people place symbolic personal items—like rings, keys, or coins—under the rose bush to represent a wish for love, prosperity, or a new home. It is believed that these wishes will come true if left overnight and retrieved with intention in the morning.
Washing with Dew at Sunrise:
Another ritual involves collecting morning dew from grass or flowers on Hıdırellez morning and washing the face or hands with it.
It is believed that this dew has healing and rejuvenating properties.
Washing with this water symbolizes both physical and spiritual purification.
The Inner Essence of Hıdırellez
Beyond its customs, Hıdırellez is a reminder of something deeper:
A time to reconnect with what we desire,
To remember what it feels like to wish without doubt,
To believe like a child again,
To remember that the earth is listening,
And that hope is not naive—but vital.
In these days when modern life wears us down,
Hıdırellez invites us to slow down and listen.
To nature, to the seasons, and to our own inner voice.
Because renewal does not only come from outside—it begins from within.
A Personal Note
As someone who inherited this tradition from my childhood,
Who rushed out with a white piece of paper and drew dreams before the call to prayer,
Who grew up thinking everyone did this,
Only to later realise that not everyone remembers such rituals—
I now feel even more responsible to remember, to live, and to share them.
Because these are not just customs,
They are lifelines—
To culture, to ancestors, to the earth,
And to the sacred art of wishing.