For First Time Since Syria's Founding, Nation Prepares to Celebrate Nowroz as Official Holiday

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - For the first time in the country’s history, Syrians will celebrate Nowroz as an official national holiday, following a presidential decree that formally recognizes the Kurdish spring festival as a nationwide occasion observed across the country.

On March 21, Syrians are expected to mark the festival openly and within a legal framework after Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa issued Legislative Decree No. 13, declaring Nowroz a paid national holiday.

The decree represents a shift in the state’s approach to the celebration, which will now be observed across Syria as a national event rather than solely as a cultural occasion associated with the Kurdish community.

According to the decree, the measure also addresses long-standing issues linked to the exceptional census conducted in 1962, which had stripped thousands of Kurds of their citizenship. The decision cancels those exceptional measures and grants full citizenship rights to those affected.

In a televised address, President al-Sharaa urged Kurds not to believe “narratives of sedition,” stressing that their language and culture are now protected by law as part of Syria’s national identity.

In Afrin, local authorities issued a public invitation encouraging residents to celebrate Nowroz in several historical and natural locations, including the archaeological site of Ain Dara and the shores of Lake Maydanki.

The Kurdish National Council in Syria (Afrin local council) also announced coordination with the Afrin regional administration to organize the celebrations.

On Sunday, and in an interview with Kurdistan24, Ahmad Hassan, head of the Afrin Local Council of the Kurdish National Council in Syria, described the decree as an important step.

“We view Decree 13, issued by President Ahmad al-Sharaa, as a positive step in the right direction, and it can be built upon regarding the rights of the Kurdish people and securing their rights in the constitution,” Hassan said.

He added that the decision would have wider social and political implications across the country.

“It has a positive effect politically and socially, and it has a strong impact on the Syrian street, especially since Nowroz has now been declared a national holiday celebrated by all Syrians,” he said.

Hassan confirmed that the Kurdish National Council coordinated with local authorities regarding the celebrations.

“Yes, as we mentioned before, there was coordination between the regional administration and the council. In the council we invited them to participate in the Night of Fire, which is the night before Nowroz,” he said.

The event, known as the Nowroz Torch Night, is scheduled for the evening of March 20, 2026, at seven p.m. on the western Afrin highway between Mishaal Tammo Roundabout and Helmet Roundabout.

In the invitation statement, the council called on participants to light the torch of freedom associated with the symbolic story of Kawa the Blacksmith.

“Together we light the torch of freedom, the torch of Kawa the Blacksmith… the torch of the victory of Kawa the Blacksmith over the tyrant Zahhak… to herald a new day—Nowroz—the day of freedom and peace,” the statement read.

The statement also welcomed Presidential Decree No. 13 as “a bold national step that can be built upon to establish a pluralistic, democratic, decentralized Syria where all components enjoy freedom and dignity.”

Hassan said the Afrin regional administration also provided assurances regarding security arrangements.

“The regional administration promised us and guaranteed the protection of everyone, and many forces will be deployed to preserve the security of all,” he said.

When asked whether the decision could open the door to broader Kurdish rights in the future, Hassan expressed cautious optimism.

“We hope so,” he said.

He added that the celebrations this year carry particular significance.

“We expect a lot from this year’s celebration, especially since it is the first celebration recognized by the Syrian government. Since the founding of the Syrian state between 1919 and 1920, this is the first time Kurds will celebrate Nowroz legally,” Hassan said.

“We are happy about this decree because it is a positive step and it can be expanded to include all national rights of the Kurdish people,” he added.

The Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani also commented on the occasion, stating that “a free Syria has room for all its sons,” and expressing pride in promoting pluralism as part of the country’s national achievements.

He noted that the coincidence of Nowroz with Mother’s Day this year symbolizes fraternity and what he described as a new Syrian spring.

Reports also indicated that Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa held a phone call with President Masoud Barzani to discuss agreements with Kurdish political forces. According to the reports, President Barzani emphasized that the decree represents a solid foundation for safeguarding rights.

As preparations continue for celebrations across Afrin and other Syrian regions, the official recognition of Nowroz marks what many see as a historic moment in the country’s evolving political and social landscape.