Rituals Tradition
Ederlezi The spring celebration of the Roma community
by Emma Strocchi
Ederlezi’s ritual of burning flowers
Sa o Roma, babo, e bakren čhinen A me, čoro, dural bešava A, odo, daje, amaro dive Amaro dive, Ederlezi E devado, babo, amenge bakro Sa o Roma, babo, e bakren čhinen I. Ederlezi: spring, Easter and religion
The Roma community places great significance
on the arrival of spring, marked by a lively celebration known as Ederlezi, a feast characterised by music, dance, rituals and plenty of food.
Ederlezi is the Romani word for Đurđevdan, the George’s Day, a Serbian festivity for the celebra-
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tion of saint George, one of the most important saints in the Balkans. The Serbian term originally comes from the Turkish Hidirellez, the celebration of the rebirth of nature and the return of spring.
Ederlezi festivities are embraced by the Roma
community worldwide, irrespective of their religious affiliations, whether they are Catholic, Orthodox or Muslim. Saint George’s Day is traditionally observed on April 23rd, commemorating his death, but in the Julian calendar followed by Orthodox adherents, this date corresponds to May 6th in the Gregorian calendar. However, if April 23rd falls during Holy Week, the Saint George celebration is postponed by a few days. Being Ederlezi the celebration of spring and fertility, what better time to celebrate it than spring itself? Ederlezi shares a
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