Community Officer Blake recently spent some time with student Ahmad Alkuchikmulla, learning about Newroz which is a New Year celebration that falls on the March 21.
In his own words, Ahmad explained that; ‘Newroz is one of the feasts of the Kurdish history, which is celebrated by the Kurds, Persians, and other nations.
The Kurdish people are one of the nations that have a long history and considers itself the owner of Newroz. This day is remembered annually as a national event. In Kurdistan Region in general, especially after the 1991 uprising, Newroz has been given great importance and on March 21st, all Kurdish people wear their traditional Kurdish clothes, climb the mountains and set fires and celebrate until late at night.
Newroz is the Kurdish New Year, which has its own history and has been proven as a calendar for Kurds, and the only history linked to that calendar is the establishment of the Mad State in the eighth century BC.
That's why Kurds, aside from celebrating Newroz as a national feast, also commemorate the establishment of the first Kurdish state and the Kurdish New Year as a yearly celebration of liberation, resistance, and freedom’.
Blake added that, ‘it has been a privilege to learn more about this celebration and its history, and I encourage you to watch the video below to learn more about what Newroz is and what it means to Ahmad’.