Newroz as celebrated by Kurds

Fireworks widely used during the spring festival

Newroz (Also called: Newroj meaning: new sun or new day) is the Kurdish New Year and the Kurdish version of the spring festival among the Kurdish people. It begins between 18th till 21th march. With this festival Kurds gather into the fairgrounds mostly outside the cities to welcome spring. Women wear gaily colored dresses and spangled head scarves and young men wave flags of green, yellow and red, the colors of the Kurdish people.By lighting fire and dancing around it they hold this festival. [1], also see: [2].

History

The festival was illegal until 2000 in Turkey where most of the Kurds live [3] and Turkish forces arrested Kurds celebrating Newroz [4]. In Newroz 1992 at least 70 people celebrating the festival were killed by Turkish security forces [5]. The official Turkey now celebrates Nevruz as a Turkish spring holiday.

Newroz is banned in Syria. Several people were killed in clashes between Syrian authorities and Kurds in March 1986 during the spring festival of Newroz. In 1992, security forces carried out mass arrests after Kurds marked the 30th anniversary of the census which resulted in the deprivation of citizenship of tens of thousands of Kurds.

In 1995, the Syrian authorities banned the traditional Newroz celebrations and arrested dozens of Kurds, according to Amnesty. [6].

According to the Kurdish legends, Newroz celebrates the overthrow of Zuhak the tyrant, an Assyrian king in present day Kurdistan who had snakes growing out of his shoulders and required human sacrifices to control his affliction. He was eventually defeated when a brave blacksmith by the name of Kawa led a revolt against him and freed the people. Kawa then climbed to the top of the mountain above the castle and lit a large bonfire to tell all the people of Mesopotamia that they were free. Soon, hundreds of fires all over the land were lit to spread the message and the flames lept high into the night sky, lighting it up and cleansing the air of the smell of Zuhak and his evil deeds. The same way that Kurdish people still light fire in this day. In the reign of Sennacherib (705-682 BC) the House of the New Year, Akitu, was built and the festivities celebrated in the city. The new Year festival was usually canceled in Mesopotamia when the ruling King was not present in the city.

Ziryab (789-857 C.) the Kurdish celebrated ex-Baghdad Abbasid courts' singer and musician, who fled to Andalusia was the first to introduce New Year festival to Spain and thence to Europe [7].

There are also other traditions practiced in parts of Kurdistan during the festival, such as Helawe Melawe which is special to children or teenagers; They can ask for spring gifts from their kins or neighbours by visiting them at their homes and reading traditional short poems, such as:

Helawe Melawe

Kureketan bé be zawe

Hélkeyekim bo bixene bin tawe...

People widely use fireworks during the festival.

See also

• Norouz