Kha b-Nisan
Kha b-Nisan[1], also Ha b-Nison; ܚܕ ܒܢܝܣܢ "First of April", Resha d'Sheta; ܪܝܫܐ ܕܫܢܬܐ "Head of the year" in Syriac, also known as Akitu, or Assyrian new year[2] is the spring festival among the Assyrians, celebrated on 1 April.
Celebrations involve parades and parties. Men and women wear traditional costume and dance in parks for hours.[3]
History
In the ancient traditions, the new year is celebrated around the Spring equinox. In the Julian calendar, vernal equinox moved gradually away from March 21st. The Gregorian calendar reform restored vernal equinox to its original date, but since the festival was by now tied to the date, not the astronomical event, Kha b-Nisan remains fixed at March 21 of the Julian reckoning, corresponding to 1 April of the Gregorian calendar. Vernal equinox is celebrated throughout Greater Iran as Noruz meaning "New Day" on March 21st. However, in the ancient Assyrian and Babylonian traditions, the Spring festival was celebrated in the first days of the month known as "Nissan"[4] and the calendar adopted by the ancient Assyrians had the month "Nissan" as the beginning of the calendar[5] lending to the term "kha b'nissan", or the first of Nissan.
In the 1950s, rising interest in Assyrianism resulted in the creation of a modern "Assyrian calendar"with its era was fixed at 4750 BC, inspired by an estimate of the date of the first temple at Ashur in the Middle Ubaid period. In the same spirit, the Akkadian name of the spring festival, Akitu was revived.
The event is also largely celebrated by Assyrians residing in Syria. Although the Syrian government does not acknowledge the festival, Assyrians still continue with the celebration.[6] In 2002, Assyrians in Syria celebrated the event with a mass wedding of 16 couples and over 25,000 attendees.[7] After the formation of the Turkish state, Khab Nissan along with the Noruz were banned from public to celebrate. Assyrians/Syriacs in Turkey were first allowed to publicly celebrate Kha b-Nison in 2005, after organisers received permission from the government to stage the event, in light of democratic reforms adopted in support of Turkey's EU membership bid. [8][9] Around 5,000 people 'including large groups of visiting ethnic Assyrians from Europe, Syria and Iraq' took part in the Kha b-Nisan celebrations.[10]
One of the largest Assyrian New Year celebration took place in Iraq in 2008. Public celebrations were not allowed by Saddam Hussein's regime prior to the start of the Iraq war. The event was organized by the Assyrian Democratic Movement and from 45,000 to 60,000 people took part in the parade.[11][12]
In 2004, Hon. George Radonovich of the California House of Representatives recognized the Assyrian New Year and extended his wishes to the Assyrian community in California.[13] This was later followed by a letter from the California governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, to the Assyrian community in California congratulating them on the yearly celebration.[14]
Celebration
Assyrians celebrate 1 April by holding parades and parties. They also gather in clubs and social institutions and listen to the poets who recite the story of creation. The men and women wear traditional clothes and dance in parks for hours. It has also become tradition to hold a parade down 'King Sargon Blvd' in Chicago, IL.
It is a tradition in Assyrian villages for girls to gather flowers and herbs which are then suspended under the house's roof. The bunches are referred to as "Deqna d'Nissan"[15] ܕܩܢܐ ܕܢܝܣܢ meaning, "beard of April".
References
- ^ [1][unreliable source?]
- ^ [2][unreliable source?]
- ^ [3][unreliable source?]
- ^ E. Elochukwu Uzukwu. Worship as Body Language: Introduction to Christian Worship : an African. Published by Liturgical Press, 1997. Orientationhttp://books.google.com/books?id=9hhmzVrYPHAC&pg=PA117&lpg=PA117&dq=new+year+nisan+akitu&source=bl&ots=n0nYzub5gc&sig=WTTneJ6-BqOgn-iSzDpUWyDveYw&hl=en&ei=6F-oSdX_IIzVnQeW6JTaDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=8&ct=result
- ^ William Ricketts Cooper. "An Archaic Dictionary: biographical, historical and mythological: from the Egyptian, Assyrian, and Etruscan monuments". Published by S. Bagster and Sons, 1876.
- ^ http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/topic,463af2212,46ef83f52,4959de172,0.html
- ^ http://www.bethsuryoyo.com/currentevents/6752HomelandCelebration/CelebrationInSyria.html
- ^ Assyrians Celebrate New Year for First Time in Turkey (SETimes.com)[unreliable source?]
- ^ Erkan's field diary:[unreliable source?]
- ^ NYT (4 April 2005)[4]
- ^ http://www.helentalia.com/community.htm
- ^ http://www.zindamagazine.com/html/archives/2008/04.14.08/index_mon.php#goodmorningassyria
- ^ [5][unreliable source?]
- ^ [6][unreliable source?]
- ^ [7][unreliable source?]
External links
- Akitu and Newruz (aina.org)
- Kurd's - Persian New Year; its Assyrian - Babylonian origin (christiansofiraq.com)
- Assyrian NewYear 6758 Ceremony In Tehran (brasheet.com)
- Assyrian NewYear 6758 Ceremony In Urmia (brasheet.com)