Elements
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Manage No, Sortation, Country, Writer ,Date, Copyright Manage No EE00000151 Country Turkey,Macedonia ICH Domain Oral traditions and representations Performing Arts Social practices, rituals, festive events Knowledge and practices about nature and the universe Address Republic of Macedonia: The Turkish communities who live in the urban and rural regions in South-eastern part of the Republic of Macedonia in the cities of Valandovo, Radovish, Shtip and Strumica and in western part of Republic of Macedonia: Gorna Zhupa, Debar, Gostivar, Tetovo and Prilep celebrate the Spring Celebration: Hıdrellez. The Roma population who live in the municipality of Shutka in the city of Skopje, the capital of Republic of Macedonia, and in other parts of the country celebrate the element. Republic of Turkey: The element is celebrated in many provinces in all the regions such as located in the west: Edirne, İstanbul, Bilecik, Denizli, İzmir, Afyon, Çanakkale, Kırklareli, Kocaeli, Tekirdağ, Uşak, Sakarya; north: Giresun, Gümüşhane, Karabük, Kastamonu, Ordu, Samsun, Sinop, Tokat, Zonguldak, Bartın; south: Antalya, Hatay, Isparta, Kahramanmaraş; east: Mardin, Muş, Tunceli, Elazığ and the centre: Karaman, Kırıkkale, Sivas, Çorum, Yozgat, Konya. The celebrations take place at homes, on streets and in cultural spaces related to the element (in Turkey named as “Hıdırlık”) with the involvement of Muslim and Christian communities.
| Description | “Hıdrellez” is a compound name derived from “Hıdır” and “İlyas”. They are believed to be sacred figures who meet each other once in a year on May 6th and are considered to be the protectors of earth and water as well as helpers of individuals, families and communities in need of them. May 6th is accepted and celebrated as Spring Day, awakening of nature. According to the beliefs of some communities a year is divided into two seasons in accordance with the visibility and invisibility of the star Pleiades that cannot be observed from May 6th until November. The element is maintained today, various ceremonies and rituals connected to the nature are performed providing well-being, fertility and prosperity of family and community, protecting livestock and crops for the upcoming year. On the evening of May 5th, young people gather in a house and prepare one storage pot made of clay in which there are some herbs and water, where each participant put different small personal object called “nishan” inside with some wish for the following year. Covered with red cloth the pot is left under a rose bush, and left during the night. Before sunrise on May 6th, the courtyard of a house is cleaned and in the middle a bonfire is lit. It is believed that as higher the fire goes, the more productive the upcoming year will be. Young people jump over the fire and go in the nearest green field or forest where they collect different herbs and green plants. They put swings up on a fertile tree and while swinging sing Hıdrellez songs. After that the young people go to the garden, where they have put the pot and proceed to the ritual called “Martufal”: A young girl, whose parents are alive, mixes the nishans inside the pot and picks them out one by one. The picked nishan is shown to the people around, while giving it to its owner they sing a quatrain called “Mani”. Each nishan is considered to be magical and each mani should bring luck and good health to its owner. After the Martufal the participants have family lunch, the celebration continues all day with wrestling games called “Pelivan” and dancing festivities organized by the local communities. |
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| Social and cultural significance | Spring Celebration: Hıdrellez have an important role for enabling people to socialize and to express their identity. In order to strengthen the relations among the family members, neighbours and community, people host guests, relatives, friends, neighbours, who also participate in the festive events. The participation in celebrations like Pelivan wrestling games, dancing, singing, preparing food, provides and encourages interaction by exchanging of ideas, skills and knowledge among different communities, groups and individuals. It also contributes the mutual understanding, tolerance and respect among different communities. As for the cultural meaning of the element, the rituals have long been performed and transmitted from generations to generations in nature, help people to connect with nature and also become aware of protecting the environment. The rituals have deeply rooted cultural meanings which can be noticed in the symbolical expressions of the different ceremonies like lightening bonfire and jumping over or collecting herbs which are believed to have healing powers. The performance of the rituals in special cultural spaces (like Hıdırlıks) also provides the community with the sense of belonging and cultural identity. It keeps connection to the local places of memory and cherishes local natural environment. The ceremonies also affirm the expectation of the people for better future. For example fortune-telling tradition is applied for future marriage, wrestling and horse racing traditions are applied for community leadership. The display of identity via the element is mostly done by gathering around the bonfire, performing the traditional songs, dances and Manis. The important feature of the event is the use and display of various traditional objects and clothes. These customs are an essential way of connecting the past to the future and through them the element carries its social and cultural context. |
| Transmission method | The knowledge and skills related to the Spring Celebration: Hıdrellez has been transmitted today within the family and community members through oral communication, observation, participation and performance. All knowledge and skills related to the element are still transmitted from one generation to the next, by involvement of all members of the family, groups or community who have specific roles in transmission such as how to cook special meals, lighting bonfire, how to prepare pot for Martufal, which plants to pick, how to sing a song, how to create a Mani, how to dance and other activities depending on the aspect of the practiced element. Most of the abovementioned practices are transmitted by generations to generations in an informal way of education. Spring Celebration: Hıdrellez is recognised as a part of cultural identity for local communities. In order to fulfill the rituals of this celebration, the youth observes and learns the specific cultural codes; pass through certain steps and initiation stages, according to age, gender and marital status. Local communities, municipalities, NGO’s and universities have a significant role in transmitting the knowledge of the element by organizing local, national and international festivals, conferences, seminars, workshops, exhibitions and various celebrations in public and cultural spaces related to the element (like Hıdırlıks in Turkey) In addition, information provided by local and national media contributes to promote and transmit the element today. |
| Community | Republic of Macedonia: Turkish population who live in Republic of Macedonia celebrates the Spring celebration: Hiderlez, Roma population in Skopje and other cities in Republic of Macedonia celebrates Spring Celebration: Erdelezi. Republic of Turkey: It has been celebrated by all the people who think that the arrival of Spring is worth to be greeted 5th- 6th of May. The practices of the Spring Celebration: Hıdrellez belong to all participants, such as families, children, youth, adults, dancers and singers. Those participants come from all social levels, communities and groups. People who believe fertility and prosperity of Spring comes on May 6th are the bearers and practitioners of the element. Various rituals are practiced during the celebration of Hıdrellez without any discrimination of age, gender and social status. Most of the celebrations are basically organized by families, local communities and authorities such as municipalities and NGOs. The main bearers of the element are the older and younger generations. While the elders explain what and how to do certain rituals, the young generations have specific roles in practicing the element. The boys are responsible for lighting the bonfire and preparing swings; the girls pick green plants, herbs. One of the girls has a special role in preparing and performing the Martufal ritual. She is responsible for covering the pot with red cloth, putting it under a rose tree and during the Martufal she is the one who is taking out the nishans with her eyes closed. In some parts of Turkey, abovementioned role of the girl is performed also by an underage of puberty boy. A lady who is talented in composing and improvising Manis has a special role in Martufal ritual. Her skills are very much appreciated by the young generations who learn how to keep alive the Martufal tradition which is viable for safeguarding the element. |
| Type of UNESCO List | Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity |
| Incribed year in UNESCO List | 2017 |