The raisin preparation ceremony has a special sanctity
Jamshid Qassem Hassani, a researcher in Kurdistan, says:
The ceremony of preparing raisin, which has a special sanctity among the Dolabians and is called (Bolaw);
It starts every year in the third decade of September and is done by inviting many relatives and acquaintances from other regions and cities.
According to him,
the gardeners transport the grapes by means of (Changleh, in the language of Horami in Dolab) or (Seh Teh in other parts of Kurdistan)
which is made of purple wood and bring it to traditional kilns. For every 30 hooks the equivalent of a trough,
approximately 18 kg of sycamore or grapefruit ash is boiled in a large pot full of water called Kazan for about 10 hours.
He emphasizes:
The type of ash and the amount of boiling it is very sensitive, which can only be done by experienced old men and women of the village.
According to Qassem Hassani, in order to prepare Bolaw in the village,
it is customary for a group of experienced men to cut the grapes early in the morning and put them in the fork,
and the younger ones throw one or two or two ropes around the fork They are taken to a place called (Yageh Koreh)
and women and girls put them on top of each other and around the pot with great taste and patience; Basically, they burn the stove after lunch.
He continues:
Pour the clear acid water that has already been prepared and settled into a separate barrel very carefully so that the sediment does not mix,
into the pot and boil it, and the two people sitting on the sides of the pot take turns.
The grapes are put in a pot and taken out quickly.
Those who do so-called bolao need to have enough skill and experience because grapes are likely to burn,
or sometimes parts of them are dry and do not turn into raisins, he said.
Then the forks are set aside to get some water, then they are taken to the roof,
which has already been covered with mud and is called (Hila Savo or Naviai) on the spot, and two to three experienced men.
They are placed on the roof facing the sun and after about 10 days, they see beautiful and bright raisins that caress the hearts of passers-by.
He considers the most beautiful memory of the Bolaw ceremony, which is never forgotten and is remembered every year in the village,
to gather together, make the villagers laugh and appreciate the efforts of the gardeners, and reminds them:
They calculate and deliver to the deserving.