Enab Baladi – Hani Karazi
Without Bashar al-Assad and in a unified Syrian land, Syrians celebrate Nowruz this year differently. Many Arab Syrians from various components and sects have expressed that they will join their Kurdish brothers in the rituals of this fest, in celebration of the integration agreement between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian state and the fall of al-Assad, making Nowruz an occasion to unite all Syrians.
The Kurds celebrate Nowruz annually in Syria and throughout the world on March 21, which is considered the beginning of the Kurdish year. The word “Nowruz” in Kurdish means “new day.”
Kurds light the Nowruz fire and go out to celebrate in natural places, accompanied by traditional Kurdish dances, poetry readings, and singing.
Rituals restricted under Assad’s rule
Celebrations of Nowruz faced restrictions and harassment from the ousted Assad regime, which did not allow anyone to celebrate openly. The Kurds would hold their celebrations in large halls in villages.
After local and popular pressures, as well as crises that occurred on this day due to the Kurds’ attachment to their fest, Hafez al-Assad issued a decree in 1988, making this day an official holiday in Syria, but linked it to Mother’s Day.
The regime would deploy security patrols a day before the celebration to patrol the streets, preventing Nowruz celebrations and detaining violators.
Following the outbreak of the Syrian revolution, Nowruz celebrations became openly widespread in areas controlled by the Autonomous Administration in northeastern Syria, alongside villages and towns in the Aleppo countryside, while celebrations were very limited in areas controlled by the Assad regime.
Kurdish researcher Osama Sheikh Ali stated that the regime fought any public gathering and did not consider Nowruz celebrations a cultural event but a political manifestation, especially since it knew that this fest was based on a legend expressing the revolution against the tyrannical ruler. Thus, the ousted Assad considered this holiday a threat to him.
Sheikh Ali added to Enab Baladi that Kurdish political parties and civil actors held political dialogues and seminars during Nowruz celebrations, which the regime attempted to suppress. In 2009, Assad’s intelligence fired on a gathering of young people celebrating Nowruz, resulting in the deaths of three individuals.
Yara Jalal, a Syrian journalist of Kurdish descent, lived in Damascus but did not experience Nowruz rituals there ideally due to the restrictions imposed by the previous Assad regime.
Jalal told Enab Baladi, “During the rule of Hafez al-Assad and then Bashar al-Assad, there were strict restrictions on celebrating Nowruz, and the security authorities considered it a politically charged celebration more than a cultural one, imposing a ban on large gatherings and detaining some celebration participants every year on significant political and security charges that led to their imprisonment for long periods.”
She added that despite the regime’s security restrictions, the Kurds continued to celebrate Nowruz in various ways, whether secretly or through symbolic displays in their homes, demonstrating a determination to hold on to their cultural identity.
A different Nowruz this year
Days before the Nowruz celebration, the transitional Syrian president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, signed an agreement with the commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, outlining the integration of the SDF into the institutions of the Syrian state.
The agreement affirmed the rights of all Syrians to representation and participation in the political process and all state institutions, based on competency regardless of their religious and ethnic backgrounds, and recognized the Kurdish community as an integral part of the Syrian state, ensuring its rights to citizenship and constitutional rights.
This year’s Nowruz comes without the Assad regime, which imposed its security grip on the country for more than five decades and committed horrific crimes and violations against Syrians, exerting security pressures even on their holiday celebrations.
Osama Sheikh Ali stated that this year’s Nowruz is different, given the positive political atmosphere in Kurdish areas following the agreement between the SDF and the Syrian government, and at the same time, it is the first holiday after Assad’s fall.
Sheikh Ali added that the current changed circumstances would greatly encourage many Syrians from various components and sects to attend Nowruz celebrations, especially since they have had persistent curiosity over the years to witness the rituals of this fest and celebrate it with the Kurds, but many Syrians were afraid to participate during the Assad regime’s rule for fear of detention or security breaches.
Yara Jalal expects there will be a significant turnout for Nowruz celebrations in many Syrian regions, especially with the growing awareness of cultural rights and multiple identities.
Jalal pointed out that just as the Syrian revolution carried slogans calling for justice and freedom, Nowruz remains an occasion that expresses the will of peoples to determine their destiny and cling to their identity, making it a fest that carries dimensions that go beyond ethnic aspects to reach a comprehensive human dimension, as it somehow resonates with the spirit of the Syrian revolution that rose against oppression and tyranny.
An occasion to unite Syrians
The Assad regime has worked for years to promote sectarianism and dismantle the social fabric of Syria while undermining civil peace, but Syrians have always stood against those attempts, often chanting in their many revolutionary demonstrations that “the Syrian people are one.”
After the fall of Bashar al-Assad, attacks by remnants of the regime, accompanied by campaigns on social media, caused unrest aimed at spreading discord and sectarianism. Armed groups whose identities remain unclear participated in this, committing violations that were exploited through fake accounts on social media.
Hatred rhetoric has been contributed to by individuals from various directions without awareness or scrutiny, through misleading videos and inciting posts aimed at undermining Syrian unity, as remnants of the Assad regime exploited the chaos that had been planned to continue in the coastal region of Syria to achieve their goals.
In light of this reality, social researcher Wadha Othman told Enab Baladi that “in light of the challenges facing Syrians, it is essential to express our solidarity and unity, and give a true image to the world that we are a people living together harmoniously, and we must translate this on the ground through the shared celebrations of Syrians.”
Othman noted that any celebration specific to any sect or Syrian component, if participated in by other sects, would be enough to send a message to the whole world, “that we are one people capable of living together without sectarianism or racism and that our primary and final belonging is to Syria, while appreciating our differences and sharing in our joys and sorrows.”
Othman emphasized that the upcoming Nowruz represents a real opportunity for Syrians to confirm to the international community that the historical agreement between the SDF and the Syrian state is a real agreement on the ground, and that the Kurds are indeed an essential part of the Syrian people.
Journalist Yara Jalal stated that holidays, including Nowruz, provide an opportunity to enhance understanding between the various Syrian components, as it is crucial for the Syrian people to realize that Nowruz is not merely a Kurdish celebration, but a holiday with deep historical roots celebrated in various regions of the Middle East, making it easier to connect it with other Syrians.
Jalal affirmed that Nowruz can be an occasion to promote cultural dialogue, where non-Kurds participate as a form of solidarity and celebration of cultural diversity, contributing to the establishment of a more open and cohesive society.
Unique rituals
The celebration of Nowruz is characterized by unique rituals that differ from how Syrians celebrate their various holidays. Hevda Khairi, 28, from the city of Qamishli, stated that the celebrations take place on the night between March 20 and 21, where bonfires are lit as a symbol of freedom and victory. This ritual is derived from the story of the Kurdish youth “Kawa the Blacksmith,” who triumphed over the tyrannical king “Zahhak,” igniting a great fire as a sign of victory.
Khairi added to Enab Baladi that wearing traditional Kurdish clothing is one of the most important rituals during the Nowruz celebrations among the Kurdish people. These outfits are divided between men and women, with men wearing green attire, while women don colorful dresses inspired by nature and its flowers.
The celebrations begin with heading into nature, holding barbeque parties, and lighting fires before dawn on the new year for Kurds, accompanied by traditional Kurdish songs and chants.
Currently, artistic parties are held, featuring Kurdish artists and singers performing a traditional dance known as “Joubi,” where all Kurds come out to celebrate regardless of the weather on this day of the year.
Yara Jalal mentioned that for Kurds, Nowruz is not just a celebration of the arrival of spring, but a symbol of freedom, resilience, and renewal. Nowruz carries a deep national significance, as Kurds gather to ignite the fires, sing, and dance to express the continuity of their identity despite the many challenges faced by the Kurdish people, especially in Syria, where they suffered from a deliberate erasure of their rich culture by the ousted regime.
Jalal hopes that there will be signs in the coming days to allow Kurds to practice their cultural rituals linked to their ethnicity with greater openness and acceptance, similar to the Circassians, Armenians, and Turkmen present in Syria. She concluded by saying, “I believe that from now on, there will be a greater openness from the other Syrian components to get to know Kurdish culture more closely.”