The 32nd International Hıdırellez Spring Festival has begun in North Macedonia
The International Hıdırellez Spring Festival, which has been included in UNESCO's ‘Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’ in 2017 and is traditionally held in the village of Çalıklı, affiliated with the Municipality of Valandova in North Macedonia, began its 32nd celebration with an official opening ceremony on May 3rd, 2025.
Hıdırellez, a symbol of brotherhood, abundance and spring, is one of the many items of common cultural heritage of the Turkic World and is celebrated by Turks living in North Macedonia as well as on an international scale every year.
The Opening Event of this year's festival was attended by the Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Skopje, H. E. Mr. Fatih Ulusoy, Deputy President of TIKA Dr. Mahmut Çevik, the former President of North Macedonia Gyorge Ivanov, members of the North Macedonian Parliament Beycan Ilyas and Salih Murat, as well as many guests, civil society representatives and citizens of North Macedonia. The festival also featured performances by folk dance ensembles from Türkiye, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Kosovo, Moldova, and Montenegro.
TURKSOY's Contribution to the Preservation of Intangible Cultural Heritage
Within the scope of the work carried out under the leadership of TURKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev, the International Hıdırellez Spring Festival is being supported in order to preserve the intangible cultural heritage of the Turkic world and pass it on to future generations.
TURKSOY emphasises that such events not only serve to preserve cultural values but also strengthen the bonds of brotherhood and solidarity among Turkic communities. This approach reflects the organisation's firm stance on the preservation of cultural heritage.
The event is being organised in collaboration with the Folk Culture Research Institute, the Gotse Delchev University, and MATUTISEB; with the contributions of the Government of North Macedonia, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Türkiye, the Ministry of Culture of North Macedonia, TIKA, the Secretariat General of TURKSOY, the Municipality of Valandova, the Yunus Emre Institute, Halkbank, and the Turkish Wrestling Federation.
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