Erbil to celebrate "March and Newroz" after years of halt

Shafaq News/ Erbil, Kurdistan's capital city, will hold the "March and Newroz" festival after a few-years halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis.

In a press conference earlier today, Thursday, Erbil's governor Omed Khoshnaw said that the city has completed the preparations for the festival that will kick off its activities tomorrow, Friday.

Bringing together 2,500 persons, the event encompasses 23 art, music, theater, cinema, and children's events.

The security committee has held a series of meetings, Khoshnaw said, to lay down security plans during the days of the Newroz.

The Governor said that the governorate will provide all the necessary facilities to tourists wishing to visit Erbil from mid and southern Iraq.

Newroz coincides with the Spring Equinox. It is a festival celebrating the beginning of spring. Over the years, Newroz has come to represent new beginnings, as well as an opportunity to support the Kurdish cause. For these reasons, Newroz is considered to be the most important festival in Kurdish culture. Typically the festival is celebrated in the days running up to the Spring Equinox, and this year will be celebrated from March 21th to April 1st.

During Newroz, there are special foods, fireworks, dancing, singing, and poetry recitations. Spring flowers (such as tulips, hyacinths, and pussy willows) are cut, new clothes are worn, and pottery is smashed for good luck. Families spend the day in the country, enjoying nature and the fresh growth of spring.