Kurdistan Region declares five days holiday for Newroz feast

The three-day Newroz holiday that starts on March 21 will be extended to March 25 in all government offices.
Newroz celebration in the Kurdistan Region's capital Erbil. (Photo: Archive)
Newroz celebration in the Kurdistan Region's capital Erbil. (Photo: Archive)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) announced five days of holiday for the annual Kurdish celebration of Newroz starting from March 21.
Newroz, which marks the arrival of spring and the new year in Kurdish culture, is one of the key celebrations in the autonomous Kurdistan Region.

In a statement on Tuesday, KRG spokesperson Jotiar Adil announced that the three-day Newroz holiday that starts on March 21 will be extended to March 25 in all government offices.

In 2020, the KRG released an annual calendar listing all public holidays and key official events celebrated in the Region.

While congratulating the Kurdish people on the new year, Adil urged residents of the Region to follow health guidelines to protect themselves from COVID-19.

People in the Kurdistan Region usually celebrate Newroz by lighting fires, picnicking with family, dancing, and enjoying greenery and nature that marks the start of spring.

Last year, due to the coronavirus measures and lockdown across the Region, people were forced to stay at home.

According to the latest data released by the KRG Ministry of Health on Tuesday, 353 new cases of COVID-19 have been registered in the Kurdistan Region, and six more people have died of coronavirus.

Editing by Joanne Stocker-Kelly