Hıdırellez 2023

Turkish communities around the world celebrate the beginning of spring with Hıdırellez. Hıdırellez is the Turkish name for the Spring Festival, but the tradition occurs under different names in different population groups. Strong Hıdırellez traditions exist among the Roma, in the Balkans and Central Asia, among others, and many Ghent residents with a migration history also celebrate this feast.

Hıdırellez 2023 (note the i's without dots ... to be pronounced as a soft u) will be the edition of the relaunch. Previous editions were held in May 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. From then on, the intention was to organize Hıdırellez every two years, but in 2020 Corona put a stop to that. In 2022 there was already a modest edition in the Coyendanspark in combination with Les Goûts de Gand.

This 7th edition will be a Solidarity edition for the benefit of the victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, through the Ghent action 'Klein Gent - Het Warmste Dorp', an action that was started by the Ghent organization Burgerplicht.

The earthquake that struck southeastern Turkey and northern Syria on February 6, 2023 killed more than 55,000 people. Thousands are injured and homeless. The focus shifted to humanitarian aid and care for the survivors, such as arranging shelter and food. With the initiative 'Klein Gent - Het Warmste Dorp', several Ghent organizations want to contribute to the housing project of the organization Helping Hands in Kırıkhan. The aim of this campaign is to buy at least 300 residential units by mid-May and to provide a warm home for more than 1000 people.

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Ibıdıklar, Çiğdem Taştan, Güler Duman, Yudum & Ender Balkır.

The organization of Hıdırellez 2023 . Charity was realized in collaboration with DHKD, Atagenç, Turkish Lady, Vzw Adrenaline, Burgerplicht, Posküder, Rumeli vzw, Compactuna, Tevhid Camii & Fatih Camii, with the support of AMAL vzw & XL GROUP VLAANDEREN.