‘Hıdırellez Festival’ celebrated with enthusiasm in Sancaktepe
ISTANBUL – Hıdırellez, also known as the ‘Spring Festival’ and celebrated as the arrival of spring in a wide geography from Central Asia to the Balkans, was celebrated with enthusiasm in Sancaktepe.
The Hıdırellez Festival was organized by the Sancaktepe Municipality in the Paşaköy Neighborhood. Many activities were held in the event such as sack race, handkerchief snatching, carrying eggs in the mouth, and kite festival, and everyone from 7 to 70 had a great time. Sancaktepe Mayor Alper Yeğin, Sancaktepe District Governor Ahmet Karakaya, CHP District Chairman Emre Yılmaz, Sancaktepe Municipality Council Chairman İlknur Ünlü, Sancaktepe CHP Council Members, muhtars and all the people of Sancaktepe attended the Hıdırellez event. The Hıdırellez Festival began with Mayor Alper Yeğin lighting the fire, while children and their families had a great time with the music playing, and some citizens jumped over the burning fire.
Speaking at the Hıdırellez festival, Sancaktepe Mayor Alper Yeğin said, “We are also welcoming spring with enthusiasm. We are holding an event that has not been held in this region for many years. Hıdırellez festivals. Especially our neighbors from all parts of Sancaktepe are here. It makes sense for it to be held in Paşaköy because it was held in our Paşaköy years ago in accordance with its traditions. We will fulfill a tradition again.”
“Hıdırellez heralds the arrival of spring”
President Yeğin said, “I would like to thank our Paşaköy headman, who has the biggest share in our organization of this event, who has labored and has ideas. I would like to thank him for taking us back to the past and for being the reason for us to meet you. The festivals held to welcome spring, especially in Anatolia, the Balkans and Central Asia, are called Hıdırellez. The winters of these geographies we mentioned are heavy. They are long. and it seems as if nature will never wake up again. As they say, at a time when people are exhausted of hope, every winter ends with spring. Hıdırellez heralds the arrival of spring. This good news is such a great good news that it increases people’s hopes with spring. The changing nature offers blessings to people. People show their gratitude for these blessings it offers to nature. They wear their best clothes to welcome spring and organize such colorful festivals. Food is cooked, eaten together, games are played. and votive offerings are made for the blessings offered by nature with the arrival of spring.”
“We will do our best to keep traditions alive”
“From now on, we will continue to pray together with you on Hıdırellez Holiday,” said President Yeğin, “We will come together to keep alive all the values that our ancestors have left us in these lands, such as cooperation, solidarity, love and respect, tolerance and all other values. People usually make wishes on Hıdırellez Holiday and hide these wishes under rose trees. Or, some throw them into the sea. We also made our wishes come true, and hopefully, our wishes and yours will come true on Hıdırellez Day. In accordance with the importance of this day, hennaed lambs were brought. Our rose saplings were planted. There are many common traditions such as drawing wishes from pots, jumping over fires, and releasing animals and lambs to pastures with henna. Some of these have unfortunately been defeated by time. But we will use all the means we can to keep them alive. At the beginning of the celebrations, our children had fun during the day. Seeing our children’s happiness makes us happy too. Our children are our spring. Like spring, they also revive our hopes. “I wish to be as cheerful as children on all holidays. I congratulate you all on Hıdırellez and send you my love. We will mobilize all our means to keep the unity, togetherness, brotherhood and fellow countrymen of Sancaktepe alive,” he said.
Speaking about the event, Aslı Çetinkaya said, “We would like to thank Mayor Alper for this event. He organized a wonderful event. We are here as a family. We attended as a family. He entertained the children as well as the adults. Thank goodness Mayor Alper. We would like to thank Mayor Haydar.”
