For 3 years now, I live in the Rom (known by the eponym "Gypsy") neighbourhood of Alacati, in Turkey. We are happy here. Every year, there is a special celebration on the night of May 5th. It's called Hıdırellez and it celebrates the arrival of spring/summer. It's now linked to Islam, but its roots are ancestral, dating back to the time of shamanism - Yakuts (of Turkic origins) of Siberia were celebrating it. Every religion assimilates elements of previous beliefs; nothing is ever static and I think it's a beautiful thing! Fire is the original worship - a formidable expression of nature. For Hıdırellez, bonfires are lit in the streets, people jump over them while sending wishes. I was photographing my sons lighting a fire when my elder one spontaneously joined his hands together, in a gesture of prayer. We are not at all a "religious" family per say; the worship of fire must be a part of humankind's DNA.
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