Coronavirus stops celebrations on Yezidi New Year in Syria’s northeast
TIRBESPI, Syria (North Press) – On Wednesday, Yezidi Hadia Shammo, co-chair of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) said that there are no outdoor celebrations on the Yezidi New Year this year.
April 14 marks the Yezidi New Year known as Charshamba Sor (Red Wednesday), which is on the first Wednesday of April of each year according to the eastern calendar.
Yezidis celebrate Charshamba Sor as a religious and national holiday that dates back to about 7,000 BC, according to Shammo.
There are no outdoor celebrations this year as a result of the complete lockdown against the coronavirus outbreak, Shammo told North Press.
Wednesday marks the second day of the ten-day complete lockdown imposed by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) in its areas against the coronavirus outbreak.
She pointed out that Wednesday is a day for celebration because according to Yezidi religious mythology, Wednesday is the day when God finished with creating the universe.
Shammo added that the reason for naming it the Red Wednesday “denotes the day when red blood walked through Adam’s body to descend to the ground and the flowers blossomed.”
The rituals of the holiday include paying visits, solving disputes, and making peace during visits to graves and holy shrines, all on the eve of the day.
On the day itself, sweets and colored eggs that symbolize life and renewal for Yezidis are distributed.
There are about 30 Yezidi families in Tirbespi after most of them emigrated following the genocide by the Islamic State (ISIS) against Yezidis in Shengal, Iraq in August of 2014.