Какой завтра праздник у курдов

В Курдистане объявлены дни празднования Науруза

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2021-03-17

Региональное правительство Курдистана (КРГ) 16 марта объявило пять дней официальными праздниками по случаю курдского Нового года, также известного как Науруз.

Как сказано в заявлении пресс-секретаря КРГ Джотиара Адиля, праздники начнутся 21 марта и продлятся до 25 марта. 

Представитель КРГ призвал граждан продолжать соблюдать официальные инструкции, чтобы помочь правительству сдержать распространение коронавируса.

Курдский Новый год приходится на 21 марта каждого года. Люди отмечают его в традиционных курдских нарядах, отправляясь на пикники и отмечая это событие праздничной едой, песнями и танцами.

Теги: Иракский Курдистан, Курдистан, КРГ, Науруз

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0.      ЖИГАЛИНА, д.и.н

       Неотъемлемой частью национальной культуры курдов являются праздни­ки и обряды. Они связаны в основном с хозяйствен­ной деятельностью курдов, которые по традиции были умелыми скотоводами и усердными земледельцами.

Праздник Beran berdan 

       Как у многих народов Востока, большие праздни­ки у курдов приурочивают к новым периодам года, который начинается 21 марта. Именно таким праздником является Навруз (Новый год). Ему пред­шествовали менее значи­тельные, но являвшиеся традиционно народными праздники, которые рас­сматривались курдами как предтеча предстоящих но­вогодних торжеств. Такими предшественниками Навруза являются праздник Хыдыр-Наби и отмечаемый только курдами-езидами праздник обновления «Эй­де серсале» (Навруз).

        Праздник Хыдыр-Наби — покровителя скота и рас­тительности, олицетворяю­щего вечную жизнь и вес­ну, устраивается между ро­ждественским и великим постами, соблюдаемыми христианами. Курды по­стятся три дня, после чего разговляются. Вечером тре­тьего дня и наутро следую­щего из каждого дома раз­носят соседям еду в память умерших. Курдянки жид­ким тестом рисуют на при­толоке и потолочных бал­ках магические знаки-обе­реги: курды-езиды изобра­жают диски солнца, луны, а также фигурки человечков, скота, круги и точки. Все эти знаки призывали милость Хыдыр-Наби и обеспечивали благополучие дома и богатый приплод. У курдов-езидов совершали в это время обряд колядова­ния. Дети и молодежь, взяв мешочек (или новый шер­стяной носок) на длинной нитке (называемый «Доли-данг»), ходят по домам с песнями. Детям непремен­но дают фрукты и сладо­сти.

        Песни — излюбленный вид народного творчества у курдов. Они передаются из поколения в поколение, приобретая новое содержа­ние. Наиболее распростра­нены массовые песни, но исполняются и сольные. Музыкой и песнями сопро­вождаются и народные курдские пляски, преиму­щественно групповые, типа хороводных танцев.

В ночь на праздник Хы­дыр-Наби кладут муку в деревянное корыто и ста­вят на середину комнаты. Считают, что конь Хыдыр-Наби оставляет на муке свои следы; хозяин дома радуется и говорит: «Благо­словение и милость проро­ка Хыдыра нынче снизош­ла ко мне в дом».

        По традиции, 21 марта курды отмечали самый большой праздник Навруз, к которому приурочивали весенние посевы и первый выгон скота. Он был связан с отелом скота и отмечался обычно в период весеннего полнолуния или новолуния.

Для курдов Навруз — не только праздник весны и обновления, но и нацио­нальный праздник, так как они связывают, его с осво­бождением своей земли от тирании царя-дракона Захока-Беварасла, воспетого в легендах.

       Новый год не обходился без обильного застолья. Курды любят жарить шаш­лык. Его приготов­лением занимаются по обыкновению мужчины, обычно хозяин дома или его старшие сыновья. Распространены сладкие пловы. Ва­рят пшеницу, назы­ваемую савар, сдаб­ривая ее медом. Много готовят муч­ных изделий и пьют чай. Чаепитие явля­ется ритуалом, во время которого об­мениваются не толь­ко новостями, но и сплетнями.

У курдов-земле­дельцев бытовали обряды, связанные с водой. Их выполня­ли женщины. Для того, чтобы умило­стивить небо во вре­мя засухи, они за­прягали волов в соху и пахали не землю, а воду. С этой же це­лью в засушливые дни женщины обли­вали друг друга во­дой.

    Первая избранница…

         Новый, летний сельскохозяйственный цикл начинался у курдов-скотоводов

с перекочевки на летовки. К этому времени приуро­чивали праздник, когда яг­нят смешивали с матерями. До прибытия на летовку ягнята свободно кормились у матерей, а телят не под­пускали к сосанию молока и им надевали намордники. Подобные обычаи, свя­занные с переходом на ле­товку, встречаются также и в быту других народов, занимающихся  скотоводст­вом.

      Осенью курды (сельское население) проводят Праздник Беран-Бердан (буквально «запуск бара­нов»), означающий обычай запуска баранов в стадо. Когда наступает середина осени (сентябрь-октябрь), курды пекут хлеба, гату (сладкое печенье с про­слойкой масла и сахара) и несут их к отарам. Там они раздают всем присутствую­щим гату, едят сами и весе­лятся. Потом пускают ба­ранов в стада. Случка все­гда сопровождалась обря­довыми действиями и про­исходила на 40-й день, то есть первой декады октября с тем, чтобы скот произо­шел в ранневесенний паст­бищный период. Но обес­печение воспроизводства стада на следующий год на­чиналось уже зимой, в са­мый сложный период для скотоводов.

      Через 100 дней после за­пуска баранов в стадо кур­ды-скотоводы, когда удо­стоверяются, что овцы да­дут приплод, отмечают праздник Сада-пез.

         В домах снова готовят гату и различные кушанья. Люди веселятся, радуясь, что скоро стадо увеличит­ся. У курдов-езидов во вре­мя этого праздника ходят ряженые: обычно это двое мужчин. Один из них, оде­тый в смешной и нелепый наряд, изображает комиче­ский персонаж Косгельды. Второй, одетый в женское платье, изображает его же­ну. Они ходят по деревне, заходят в дома, шутят, ба­лагурят, собирая в мешок щедро раздаваемые угоще­ния и деньги.

        Последнюю среду меся­ца шубат курды называют праздником Ахыр-чаршам-бе (черная Среда). В этот день веселятся и стараются ни с кем не ссориться. Ка­ждый у себя готовит много еды: считается, что весь год каждый будет заниматься тем же самым, что он делал в этот день. В праздничные

дни все непременно гото­вят халису (кушанье, при­готовляемое из цельных зе­рен пшеницы, куриного мяса и топленого масла). В эти дни, если двое были в ссоре или враждовали, обя­зательно должны поми­риться и начать разговари­вать друг с другом. В тече­ние трех дней ходят друг к другу в гости, делают по­дарки.

        Зимой, самой «сказоч­ной» порой, сельское насе­ление собиралось по вече­рам в чьем-либо доме, в большой комнате — гости­ной (ода). Здесь состязались дангбежи — певцы; пригла­шались и музыканты. На вечеринку собиралась вся холостая молодежь селения — девушки и юноши, моло­дые женщины. Играли на сазе, пели, плясали в хоро­воде до самого утра. Расска­зывали волшебные сказки. Курды по обыкновению рассказывали их вечерами. Ни один из сказочников не соглашался рассказывать днем волшебную сказку. В прошлом в каждой деревне существовали свои профес­сиональные сказочники и дангбежи.

Зимой курды-езиды про­водят свой праздник Айда-Езди. Ежегодно в декабре (по григорианскому кален­дарю) езиды соблюдали трехдневный пост (рожи езди). Днем они ничего не ели. В полночь накануне поста готовили обед, на­едались и ложились спать. На следующий день не ели, не пили, не курили до за­хода солнца. После захода солнца ели, ложились спать и снова вставали в полночь. Так продолжалось три дня. На четвертый день устраивали праздник — Аида-Езди. В этот день на улицах селения собирались старики группами по не­сколько человек, ходили по домам односельчан, посе­щая в первую очередь тех, у кого недавно кто-нибудь умер. Там им устраивали угощение.

         Курды-мусульмане от­мечали праздники, связан­ные с исламом, в том чис­ле Рамазан — праздник разговения. Эйда курбане — праздник жертвоприно­шения, мевлуд — День ро­ждения пророка Мухамме­да, Ашуру и некоторые другие. Особенности поли­тической истории и соци­ально-экономического раз­вития курдского народа на­ложили глубокий отпеча­ток на специфику этого эт­нокультурного бытия. Не­однократный раздел Кур­дистана — ареала исконно­го обитания курдов в За­падной Азии — между раз­личными государствами, привел к чересполосному их расселению с другими народами региона. Это об­стоятельство способствова­ло сложению хозяйствен­но-культурных контактов между различными общест­венными группами, что от­разилось на синкретично-сти календарных обычаев и обрядов курдов как по про­исхождению, так и по фор­ме бытования. При этом возникает возможность вы­явить отдельные напласто­вания различных эпох, ре­лигий, а также ареальную специфику проведения тех или иных праздников.

 Журнал «Дружба». 1998 г. №4. СС. 38-40. Г. Москва.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Newroz نەورۆز
Kurds celebrating Newroz in the village of Pallingan.
Type	National, ethnic, international
Significance	New Year holiday
Date	Usually on March 21; but also 19 and 20.
2023 date	Monday 20 March 2023 at 21:24 UTC *
2024 date	Wednesday 20 March 2024 at 03:06 UTC *
Frequency	annual

Newroz or Nawroz^[1] (Kurdish: نەورۆز, Newroz)^[2] is the Kurdish celebration of Nowruz; the arrival of spring and new year in Kurdish culture. The lighting of the fires at the beginning of the evening of March 21 is the main symbol of Newroz among the Kurds.

In Zoroastrianism, fire is a symbol of light, goodness and purification. Angra Mainyu, the demonic anti-thesis of Ahura Mazda, was defied by Zoroastrians with a big fire every year, which symbolized their defiance of and hatred for evil and the arch-demon. In Kurdish legend, the holiday celebrates the deliverance of the Kurds from a tyrant, and it is seen as another way of demonstrating support for the Kurdish cause.^{[3][4][5][6][7]} The celebration coincides with the March equinox which usually falls on 21 March^[8] and is usually held between 18 and 24 March. The festival has an important place in terms of Kurdish identity for the majority of Kurds.^[3][4][6] Though celebrations vary, people generally gather together to welcome the coming of spring; they wear traditional coloured Kurdish clothes, dance together, light fires to dance around and jump over the bonfire, play Kurdish games.^[9][10]

Mythology[edit]

The arrival of spring has been celebrated in Asia Minor since neolithic times. The root of this story goes back to ancient Iranian legends, retold in General History by scientist Dinawari,^[11] The Meadows of Gold by Muslim historian Masudi,^[12] the Shahnameh, a poetic opus written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi around 1000 AD, and the Sharafnameh by the medieval Kurdish historian Sherefxan Bidlisi.

Zahak, who is named Zuhak by the Kurds,^[3][13] was an evil Assyrian king who conquered Iran and had serpents growing from his shoulders.^[14] Zahak’s rule lasted for one thousand years; his evil reign caused spring to no longer come to Kurdistan.^[3] During this time, two young men were sacrificed daily and their brains were offered to Zahak’s serpents in order to alleviate his pain.^[14] However, the man who was in charge of sacrificing the two young men every day would instead kill only one man a day and mix his brains with those of a sheep in order to save the other man. As discontent grew against Zahak’s rule, the nobleman Fereydun planned a revolt.^[15] The revolt was led by Kaveh (also known as Kawa) (in the Ossetian language, Kurdalægon), a blacksmith who had lost six sons to Zahak.^[14] The young men who had been saved from the fate of being sacrificed (who according to the legend were ancestors of the Kurds^[11][12][16]) were trained by Kaveh into an army that marched to Zahak’s castle where Kaveh killed the king with a hammer. Kaveh is said to have then set fire to the hillsides to celebrate the victory and summon his supporters; spring returned to Kurdistan the next day.^[3]

March 20 is traditionally marked as the day that Kaveh defeated Zahak. This legend is now used by the Kurds to remind themselves that they are a different, strong people, and the lighting of the fires has since become a symbol of freedom.^[3] It is a tradition to jump across a fire at Newroz.

According to Evliya Çelebi, the district (sancak) of Merkawe in Shahrazur in the southeastern part of Iraqi Kurdistan is named after Kaveh.^[17] The 12th century geographer Yaqoot Hamawi mentions Zor (Zur^[17]), son of Zahhak (Aji Dahak), as founder of the famous city of Sharazor.^[18]

In the 1930s, the Kurdish poet Taufik Abdullah, wanting to instill a new Kurdish cultural revival, used a previously known, modified version of the story of Kawa.^[3] He connected the myths where people felt oppressed with Newroz, thus reviving a dying holiday and making it a symbol of the Kurdish national struggle.^[3][19]

Newroz customs and celebration[edit]

Newroz is considered the most important festival in Kurdish culture, and is a time for entertainment such as games, dancing, family gathering, preparation of special foods and the reading of poetry.^[20] The celebration of Newroz has its local peculiarities in different regions of Kurdistan.^[20] On the eve of Newroz, in southern and eastern Kurdistan, bonfires are lit. These fires symbolize the passing of the dark season, winter, and the arrival of spring, the season of light.^[20] The 17th century Kurdish poet Ahmad Khani mentions in one of his poems how the people, youth and elderly, leave their houses and gather in countryside to celebrate Newroz.^{[citation needed]}

Armenian scholar Mardiros Ananikian ^[21] emphasizes the identical nature of Newroz and the Armenian traditional New Year, Navasard, noting that it was only in the 11th century that Navasard came to be celebrated in late summer rather than in early spring. He states that the Newroz – Navasard “was an agricultural celebration connected with commemoration of the dead […] and aiming at the increase of the rain and the harvests.”1 The great center of Armenian Navasard, Ananikian points out, was Bagavan, the center of fire worship.

Political overtones[edit]

The Kurdish association with Newroz has become increasingly pronounced since the 1950s when the Kurds in the Middle East and those in the diaspora in Europe started adopting it as a tradition.^[22] Following the persecution of any Kurdish expression in Turkey, the revival of the Newroz celebration has become more intense and politicized and has also become a symbol of the Kurdish resurrection.^[4] By the end of the 1980s, Newroz was mainly associated «with the attempts to express and resurrect» the Kurdish identity.^[22]

In 1991, the Turkish minister of Culture Namık Kemal Zeybek gave out the directive to hold the Nevruz holiday.^[23] During the leadership of Prime Minister Suleyman Demirel Turkey legalized the celebration of Nevruz, spelling it «Nevruz» and claiming its origins were to be found in Central Asia.^[24] The Government was attempting to counter the rising Kurdish nationalism.^[24] Using the Kurdish spelling «Newroz» has been officially forbidden,^[25] though it is still widely used by Kurds. Several Turkish newspapers were prosecuted for the spelling of Newroz.^[26][27] In the Kurdish regions of Turkey, specifically in Eastern Anatolia but also in Istanbul and Ankara where there are large Kurdish populations, people gather and jump over bonfires.^[4] Previous to it being legalized, the PKK, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, had chosen the date of the Newroz festival to stage attacks to obtain publicity for their cause;^[4][28] this led to Turkish forces detaining thousands of people who were seen as supporters of the Kurdish rebel movements.^[29] During the Newroz celebrations of 1992, more than 90 Kurdish participants were killed by the Turkish government.^[30] In 2008, two participants were killed.^[31]

In Syria, the Kurds dress up in their national dress and celebrate the new year.^[32] According to Human Rights Watch, Syrian Kurds have had to struggle to celebrate Newroz, and in the past the celebration has led to violent oppression, leading to several deaths and mass arrests.^[6][33] The government has stated that the Newroz celebrations will be tolerated as long as they do not become political demonstrations of the treatment of the Kurds.^[6] During the Newroz celebrations in 2008, three Kurds were shot dead by Syrian security forces.^[34][35]

Kurds in the diaspora also celebrate the new year: Kurds in Australia celebrate Newroz not only as the beginning of the new year but also as Kurdish National Day;^[5] the Kurds in Finland celebrate the new year as a way of demonstrating their support for the Kurdish cause.^[36] In London, organizers estimated that 25,000 people celebrated Newroz in March 2006.^[37]

Newroz in Kurdish literature[edit]

Newroz has been mentioned in works of many Kurdish poets and writers as well as musicians.^[38] One of the earliest records of Newroz in Kurdish literature is from Melayê Cizîrî (1570–1640):^[39]

Without the light and the fire of Love,
Without the Designer and the power of Creator,
We are not able to reach Union.
(Light is for us and dark is the night)

This fire massing and washing the Heart,
My heart claim after it.
And here come Newroz and the New Year,
When a such light is rising.

The famous Kurdish writer and poet Piramerd (1867–1950) writes in his 1948 poem Newroz:^[40]

The New Year’s day is today. Newroz is back.
An ancient Kurdish festival, with joy and verdure.
For many years, the flower of our hopes was downtrodden
The poppy of spring was the blood of the youth
It was that red colour on the high horizon of Kurd
Which was carrying the happy tidings of dawn to remote and near nations
It was Newroz which imbued the hearts with such a fire
That made the youth receive death with devoted love
Hooray! The sun is shining from the high mountains of homeland
It is the blood of our martyrs which the horizon reflects
It has never happened in the history of any nation
To have the breasts of girls as shields against bullets
Nay. It is not worth crying and mourning for the martyrs of homeland
They die not. They live on in the heart of the nation.

Gallery[edit]

• 

  Kurdish students performing Kurdish dances to celebrate Newroz at Dicle University

• 

  Kurdish people celebrating Newroz 2018, Tangi Sar

• 

  Newroz celebration by the Kurds in Istanbul, 2006

• 

  Newroz in Iranian Kurdistan, 2017

• 

  Village girl in Palangan prepares to kindle fire for Newroz, 2019

See also[edit]

• Yazidi New Year
• Yaldā Night

References[edit]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Newroz نەورۆز
Kurds celebrating Newroz in the village of Pallingan.
Type	National, ethnic, international
Significance	New Year holiday
Date	Usually on March 21; but also 19 and 20.
2023 date	Monday 20 March 2023 at 21:24 UTC *
2024 date	Wednesday 20 March 2024 at 03:06 UTC *
Frequency	annual

Newroz or Nawroz^[1] (Kurdish: نەورۆز, Newroz)^[2] is the Kurdish celebration of Nowruz; the arrival of spring and new year in Kurdish culture. The lighting of the fires at the beginning of the evening of March 21 is the main symbol of Newroz among the Kurds.

In Zoroastrianism, fire is a symbol of light, goodness and purification. Angra Mainyu, the demonic anti-thesis of Ahura Mazda, was defied by Zoroastrians with a big fire every year, which symbolized their defiance of and hatred for evil and the arch-demon. In Kurdish legend, the holiday celebrates the deliverance of the Kurds from a tyrant, and it is seen as another way of demonstrating support for the Kurdish cause.^{[3][4][5][6][7]} The celebration coincides with the March equinox which usually falls on 21 March^[8] and is usually held between 18 and 24 March. The festival has an important place in terms of Kurdish identity for the majority of Kurds.^[3][4][6] Though celebrations vary, people generally gather together to welcome the coming of spring; they wear traditional coloured Kurdish clothes, dance together, light fires to dance around and jump over the bonfire, play Kurdish games.^[9][10]

Mythology[edit]

The arrival of spring has been celebrated in Asia Minor since neolithic times. The root of this story goes back to ancient Iranian legends, retold in General History by scientist Dinawari,^[11] The Meadows of Gold by Muslim historian Masudi,^[12] the Shahnameh, a poetic opus written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi around 1000 AD, and the Sharafnameh by the medieval Kurdish historian Sherefxan Bidlisi.

Zahak, who is named Zuhak by the Kurds,^[3][13] was an evil Assyrian king who conquered Iran and had serpents growing from his shoulders.^[14] Zahak’s rule lasted for one thousand years; his evil reign caused spring to no longer come to Kurdistan.^[3] During this time, two young men were sacrificed daily and their brains were offered to Zahak’s serpents in order to alleviate his pain.^[14] However, the man who was in charge of sacrificing the two young men every day would instead kill only one man a day and mix his brains with those of a sheep in order to save the other man. As discontent grew against Zahak’s rule, the nobleman Fereydun planned a revolt.^[15] The revolt was led by Kaveh (also known as Kawa) (in the Ossetian language, Kurdalægon), a blacksmith who had lost six sons to Zahak.^[14] The young men who had been saved from the fate of being sacrificed (who according to the legend were ancestors of the Kurds^[11][12][16]) were trained by Kaveh into an army that marched to Zahak’s castle where Kaveh killed the king with a hammer. Kaveh is said to have then set fire to the hillsides to celebrate the victory and summon his supporters; spring returned to Kurdistan the next day.^[3]

March 20 is traditionally marked as the day that Kaveh defeated Zahak. This legend is now used by the Kurds to remind themselves that they are a different, strong people, and the lighting of the fires has since become a symbol of freedom.^[3] It is a tradition to jump across a fire at Newroz.

According to Evliya Çelebi, the district (sancak) of Merkawe in Shahrazur in the southeastern part of Iraqi Kurdistan is named after Kaveh.^[17] The 12th century geographer Yaqoot Hamawi mentions Zor (Zur^[17]), son of Zahhak (Aji Dahak), as founder of the famous city of Sharazor.^[18]

In the 1930s, the Kurdish poet Taufik Abdullah, wanting to instill a new Kurdish cultural revival, used a previously known, modified version of the story of Kawa.^[3] He connected the myths where people felt oppressed with Newroz, thus reviving a dying holiday and making it a symbol of the Kurdish national struggle.^[3][19]

Newroz customs and celebration[edit]

Newroz is considered the most important festival in Kurdish culture, and is a time for entertainment such as games, dancing, family gathering, preparation of special foods and the reading of poetry.^[20] The celebration of Newroz has its local peculiarities in different regions of Kurdistan.^[20] On the eve of Newroz, in southern and eastern Kurdistan, bonfires are lit. These fires symbolize the passing of the dark season, winter, and the arrival of spring, the season of light.^[20] The 17th century Kurdish poet Ahmad Khani mentions in one of his poems how the people, youth and elderly, leave their houses and gather in countryside to celebrate Newroz.^{[citation needed]}

Armenian scholar Mardiros Ananikian ^[21] emphasizes the identical nature of Newroz and the Armenian traditional New Year, Navasard, noting that it was only in the 11th century that Navasard came to be celebrated in late summer rather than in early spring. He states that the Newroz – Navasard “was an agricultural celebration connected with commemoration of the dead […] and aiming at the increase of the rain and the harvests.”1 The great center of Armenian Navasard, Ananikian points out, was Bagavan, the center of fire worship.

Political overtones[edit]

The Kurdish association with Newroz has become increasingly pronounced since the 1950s when the Kurds in the Middle East and those in the diaspora in Europe started adopting it as a tradition.^[22] Following the persecution of any Kurdish expression in Turkey, the revival of the Newroz celebration has become more intense and politicized and has also become a symbol of the Kurdish resurrection.^[4] By the end of the 1980s, Newroz was mainly associated «with the attempts to express and resurrect» the Kurdish identity.^[22]

In 1991, the Turkish minister of Culture Namık Kemal Zeybek gave out the directive to hold the Nevruz holiday.^[23] During the leadership of Prime Minister Suleyman Demirel Turkey legalized the celebration of Nevruz, spelling it «Nevruz» and claiming its origins were to be found in Central Asia.^[24] The Government was attempting to counter the rising Kurdish nationalism.^[24] Using the Kurdish spelling «Newroz» has been officially forbidden,^[25] though it is still widely used by Kurds. Several Turkish newspapers were prosecuted for the spelling of Newroz.^[26][27] In the Kurdish regions of Turkey, specifically in Eastern Anatolia but also in Istanbul and Ankara where there are large Kurdish populations, people gather and jump over bonfires.^[4] Previous to it being legalized, the PKK, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, had chosen the date of the Newroz festival to stage attacks to obtain publicity for their cause;^[4][28] this led to Turkish forces detaining thousands of people who were seen as supporters of the Kurdish rebel movements.^[29] During the Newroz celebrations of 1992, more than 90 Kurdish participants were killed by the Turkish government.^[30] In 2008, two participants were killed.^[31]

In Syria, the Kurds dress up in their national dress and celebrate the new year.^[32] According to Human Rights Watch, Syrian Kurds have had to struggle to celebrate Newroz, and in the past the celebration has led to violent oppression, leading to several deaths and mass arrests.^[6][33] The government has stated that the Newroz celebrations will be tolerated as long as they do not become political demonstrations of the treatment of the Kurds.^[6] During the Newroz celebrations in 2008, three Kurds were shot dead by Syrian security forces.^[34][35]

Kurds in the diaspora also celebrate the new year: Kurds in Australia celebrate Newroz not only as the beginning of the new year but also as Kurdish National Day;^[5] the Kurds in Finland celebrate the new year as a way of demonstrating their support for the Kurdish cause.^[36] In London, organizers estimated that 25,000 people celebrated Newroz in March 2006.^[37]

Newroz in Kurdish literature[edit]

Newroz has been mentioned in works of many Kurdish poets and writers as well as musicians.^[38] One of the earliest records of Newroz in Kurdish literature is from Melayê Cizîrî (1570–1640):^[39]

Without the light and the fire of Love,
Without the Designer and the power of Creator,
We are not able to reach Union.
(Light is for us and dark is the night)

This fire massing and washing the Heart,
My heart claim after it.
And here come Newroz and the New Year,
When a such light is rising.

The famous Kurdish writer and poet Piramerd (1867–1950) writes in his 1948 poem Newroz:^[40]

The New Year’s day is today. Newroz is back.
An ancient Kurdish festival, with joy and verdure.
For many years, the flower of our hopes was downtrodden
The poppy of spring was the blood of the youth
It was that red colour on the high horizon of Kurd
Which was carrying the happy tidings of dawn to remote and near nations
It was Newroz which imbued the hearts with such a fire
That made the youth receive death with devoted love
Hooray! The sun is shining from the high mountains of homeland
It is the blood of our martyrs which the horizon reflects
It has never happened in the history of any nation
To have the breasts of girls as shields against bullets
Nay. It is not worth crying and mourning for the martyrs of homeland
They die not. They live on in the heart of the nation.

Gallery[edit]

• 

  Kurdish students performing Kurdish dances to celebrate Newroz at Dicle University

• 

  Kurdish people celebrating Newroz 2018, Tangi Sar

• 

  Newroz celebration by the Kurds in Istanbul, 2006

• 

  Newroz in Iranian Kurdistan, 2017

• 

  Village girl in Palangan prepares to kindle fire for Newroz, 2019

See also[edit]

• Yazidi New Year
• Yaldā Night

References[edit]