Why the delicious red fruit is the symbol of June in Albania
(Photo: Tirana Times)
Did you know we are currently month of cherries? Well, in Albania at least.
The Albanian language has a very old core vocabulary, but many other words have been borrowed by neighboring languages. Most of the months’ names are based on Latin, which is why most international readers can guess that Janar is January, Maj is May and so on.
However, there are three months in the Albanian calendar with names that are uniquely Albanian and directly associated with particular features or regular occurrences that happen during that time of year.
These months are February, “shkurt” in Albanian, literally meaning “the short month”; July, “korrik” – “the harvest month”; and this month, June, or “qershor” — “the cherries month.”
Judging by the abundance of the delicious cherries in the market and in trees across Albania this month, the name appears very apt.
Under the Ottoman rule, Albania used what old people refer to in the country as “the Turkish calendar” – which in fact is the lunar calendar used by many countries in Asia and the Middle East. Some usage of the Western calendar must have been present, however.
It is also interesting to note that Albania’s declaration of independence, for example, refers to November by as “the third autumn” not by its modern Albanian name, “nëntor.”
