Newroz celebration

A Kurdish young girl in Kurdistan wears traditional Kurdish clothes and holds a torch of Newroz / Photo: Salar Arkan

By: Shaswar Mame

With the arrival of spring, nature renews itself, the leaves of the trees and flowers blossom and begin a new life. The name of this process is Newroz. Kurds, who are very close to their nature, consider the revival of nature as their own revival.

Every year on March 20 and 21, the Kurdish people in Kurdistan and the world celebrate Newroz. Newroz, or New Day, is both the Kurdish New Year and the beginning of the spring season and the revival of nature.

On the evening of March 20, people in Kurdistan's villages, towns, streets and parks gather around a large fire in their traditional dress. They light fire torches and dance govend together. This is how they welcome Newroz.

Fire and the sun are very sacred in Kurdish culture. This is why Kurdistan is often referred to as the “land of fire and sun”. This is clearly visible during the celebration of Newroz.

Large political rallies are held in many major cities on March 21. At these rallies, Kurds enter in Kurdish clothing, light fires and sing together. At the same time, they convey political messages and express their situation, show their will and express their national wishes.

Newroz is also celebrated by some other peoples. But the Kurdish Newroz is very different. Both the way of celebrating and its meaning are different. We call Newroz the most important and grandest festival because this festival is related to the natural changes of our country, our culture, the political situation and the issue of our people. That is why Kurds celebrate Newroz extensively under all circumstances.

Kurdistan has been thirsting for freedom for a long time. It is a diverse and multicultural country. We can say that the Newroz festival defines this diversity. In every Newroz, we come together with all our diversity and renew our hope for freedom and liberation from oppression and strengthen the power of unity and ownership of our identity and culture.