Yazidis of Afrin celebrate Khidir Elias Day in Syria’s Aleppo countryside
ALEPPO NORTYHERN COUNTRYSIDE, Syria (North Press) – On Thursday, the displaced Yazidis of Afrin, who are residing in the areas of the northern countryside of Aleppo, celebrated Khidir Elias Day in Mitan Hall in the village of al Ahdath.
For the consecutive fourth year, in the areas of displacement, the Yazidis celebrate this holiday annually on the first Thursday of February according to the eastern calendar, after a three-day fast.
The Khidr Elias feast, a religious and social tradition for Yazidis and it is in celebrated in February.
“Although we’ve been forcibly displaced from our land by the Turkish forces and the affiliated armed factions, we still practice our customs and rituals,” said the co-chair of the Afrin Yazidi Union, Aisha Sido.
In February, which is considered the month of nature and the cultivation of grains, slaughtering sacrifices and shedding blood is prohibited, and seven types of grains are toasted, such as chickpeas and lentils… Then they are ground and distributed to young people, hoping that their wishes are met.
Sido congratulated all peoples on the Khidir Elias Day, especially peace lovers. This day is a holiday of peace and the fulfillment of wishes. She also called for “the fulfillment of the people’s wishes to return and liberate Afrin.”
Binefsh Nabo, a displaced Yezidi who participated in the celebration, said that “there is a big difference between the celebration in Afrin where they celebrated in their holy places and their religious shrines which they have been deprived of.”
Nabo hoped that “their wishes to return to their villages and homes are met, and the displacement ends as soon as possible.”
About 600 Yazidi families, who were displaced from Afrin in 2018, live in the northern countryside of Aleppo, either in camps or villages.