{"id":15686,"date":"2026-01-26T13:09:17","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T10:09:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cemevi.com\/hizir-orucu\/"},"modified":"2026-01-27T14:56:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T11:56:00","slug":"the-fast-of-hizir-hizir-orucu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cemevi.com\/en\/the-fast-of-hizir-hizir-orucu\/","title":{"rendered":"The Fast of H\u0131z\u0131r (H\u0131z\u0131r Orucu)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"hizir-orucu\"><strong>The Fast of H\u0131z\u0131r (H\u0131z\u0131r Orucu)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Fast of H\u0131z\u0131r is an ancient ritual that holds a very significant place in Anatolian and Mesopotamian cultures, particularly within the&nbsp;<strong>Alevi faith<\/strong>. Directly aligned with the life philosophy of figures like Elif Ana (centered on kindness and helping those in distress), this fast is not merely about abstaining from food, but is a period of spiritual purification and solidarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here is the essential information about the Fast of H\u0131z\u0131r:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>1. When is it Observed?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Fast of H\u0131z\u0131r is generally observed in the&nbsp;<strong>second week of February<\/strong>&nbsp;according to the Gregorian calendar. These fasts are kept for either 3 or 7 days during this period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2. Who is H\u0131z\u0131r?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to belief, H\u0131z\u0131r is a wise, luminous figure who drank the &#8220;Water of Immortality&#8221; (Ab-\u0131 Hayat), rides a gray horse, and rushes to the aid of those in distress. Idioms such as &#8220;May H\u0131z\u0131r\u2019s hand touch yours&#8221; and &#8220;H\u0131z\u0131r does not arrive until the servant is in dire straits&#8221; reflect the presence of this belief in daily life. H\u0131z\u0131r is a symbol of abundance, prosperity, and peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>3. Meaning and Purpose of the Fast<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Companionship for the Distressed:<\/strong>\u00a0It is observed in February, a time when harsh winter conditions prevail and both nature and humans are often in a state of hardship.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Gratitude and Vows:<\/strong>\u00a0It is kept to fulfill a promise (vow) or to seek help from God (the Truth\/Hak) to be delivered from a problem.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Spiritual Cleansing:<\/strong>\u00a0The essence is for the individual to discipline their ego (nafs) and stay away from gossip, malicious words, and forbidden acts (haram).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>4. How is the Ritual Performed?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Fast:<\/strong>\u00a0For three days, nothing is eaten or drunk from dawn until sunset.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>H\u0131z\u0131r Lokmas\u0131 \/ Kovut:<\/strong>\u00a0On the final day (Thursday evening or Friday), a special food is prepared. In some regions, this is called\u00a0<strong>&#8220;Kovut&#8221;<\/strong>\u00a0(a type of halva made from roasted and ground wheat). These &#8220;lokmas&#8221; (sacred food offerings) are shared with neighbors and the poor.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cem Ceremony:<\/strong>\u00a0On Thursday evening (Friday night in the traditional calendar), a\u00a0<strong>&#8220;H\u0131z\u0131r Cemi&#8221;<\/strong>\u00a0is held in Cemevis. Spiritual songs (deyi\u015fler) are sung, the Semah ritual is performed, and communal conversations are held to ensure unity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>5. Traditions and Beliefs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Dreams and Destiny:<\/strong>\u00a0Unmarried young people go to sleep without drinking water on the last night of the fast. It is believed that the person who gives them water in their dream will be their future spouse.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Waiting for H\u0131z\u0131r:<\/strong>\u00a0During the fasting period, doors are kept open for guests. This is because it is believed H\u0131z\u0131r might arrive in the guise of a &#8220;strange traveler&#8221; and bring blessings to the table.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"hizir-orucu\"><em>&#8220;May the offerings of those who keep the Fast of H\u0131z\u0131r be accepted, and may H\u0131z\u0131r be the helper of all those in distress.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Fast of H\u0131z\u0131r is an ancient ritual that holds a very significant place in Anatolian and Mesopotamian cultures, particularly within the\u00a0Alevi faith.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":15687,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"googlesitekit_rrm_CAow85rDDA:productID":"","_gspb_post_css":"","ai_generated_summary":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[284],"tags":[298,299,373,551],"class_list":["post-15686","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alevism","tag-alevi","tag-alevis","tag-alevism","tag-hizir-orucu"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cemevi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15686","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cemevi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cemevi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cemevi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/114"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cemevi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15686"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cemevi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15686\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cemevi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15687"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cemevi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15686"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cemevi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15686"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cemevi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15686"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}