UN marks Newroz New Year

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – In two separate letters to mark Newroz (New Day) celebrations, the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and his Special Representative for Iraq, Jeanine Hennis–Plasschaert, extended their best wishes to all those celebrating the new year.

“For all of us, it is a chance to reaffirm our commitment to peace, human rights, and human dignity; to fostering dialogue and mutual respect; to protecting the planet and building a future that leaves no one behind,” Guterres said.

“I offer best wishes to all who are marking this observance. May the Nowruz [Newroz] holiday serve as an inspiration to us all.”

Kurds are among the hundreds of millions of people around the world who celebrate Newroz—which is concurrent with the vernal equinox and the first day of spring. It was first proclaimed an international day by the United Nations General Assembly in 2010, as explained in Hennis–Plasschaert’s statement.

For the Kurdish people, Newroz is an event which symbolizes their revolution and struggles throughout history. It has also become one of the most common festivals in the region, growing in popularity each year.

Every year, the people of the Kurdistan Region’s city of Akre climb the town’s famous mountain bearing lit torches to ignite a large pyre placed on the mountaintop.

Torchbearers light a massive bonfire atop the famous Akre mountain to welcome the Kurdish New Year of #Newroz.#TwitterKurds #Kurdistan pic.twitter.com/7BucMqG4jR

— Kurdistan 24 English (@K24English) March 20, 2019

Plasschaert also wished the people who uphold the tradition in Iraq a “happy and prosperous celebration,” concluding her statement with a phrase Kurds use to congratulate each other on the arrival of the New Year.

“I sincerely hope that the spirit of Nowruz will continue to be present in Iraq to bridge differences and to promote a collective sense of pride and confidence in the country.”

“Nowruz Pirozbet,” she concluded.

Editing by Nadia Riva