Yazidi Kurds in the Kurdistan and the world are going to celebrate the red Wednesday feast today. Charshama Sur which means Red Wednesday is the celebration of Yazidi Kurds New Year, occuring in on the first Wednesday of April.
The event “char shama sari sal,” is meant to commemorate the creation of the universe by angels and to celebrate nature and fertility.
The Yazidis dress in traditional Yazidi kurdish cloths and carry candles and paraffin lamps. They all gather in the holy town of Lalish to celebrate New Year.
On this event, Kurdistan’s high officials including Kurdistan’s President and PM congratulated the Yazidis on the new year, hoping the feast brings peace to Yazidis.
“We celebrate the occasion to renew our emphasis to implement the Sinjar Agreement.
normalize the situation in the Sinjar in a way that guarantees the removal of militia and outlawed groups. And the return of displaced people to their homes,” KRG PM Masrour Barzani said on a statement
According to Yazidi faith, God sends a an angel every year to eliminate bad anid evil among people. On this Event, The Yazidis paint boiled eggs as a symbol of the renewal of nature. The boiled egg’s Yolk is symbol for sun.
On Red Wednesday morning, Yazidis get up early and pray while facing the sun for all living beings.
Later, They share sweets and colour eggs. In the morning, Yazidis go out into nature in order to pick red flowers, which Yazidis hang on the front door together with the egg shells. This decoration on the door is a way to protect against attacks and evils.
The Yazidis don’t hold weddings during this month, believing that spring itself is the bride of the year.
Usually The Yazidis lit 366 candles at the ancient temple of Lalish to mark each day on the Yezidi calendar.
The Yazidi New Year “Charshama sur” is celebrated on the first Wednesday in April.
which according to the Yazidi calendar is always the first day of April and the New Year
Since the Yazidi calendar is behind the Gregorian calendar by 13 days. Therefore The Yezidi’s new year celebration starts on the first Wednesday in April, which falls on or after April 14th in the Gregorian calendar.
According to Yazidi mythology, the red Wednesday is the day on which God finished the creation of the earth.
The name of red Wednesday comes from the fact that when Sunlight reached the earth for the first time and turned the sky red.
Yazidis believe that this is the day on which God’s angel “Malake Tawos” came to earth for the first time.
Tawos malak is the center of the seven archangels. So He represents Wednesday, the middle of the week or the center of the seven archangels. So Wednesday is the rest and off day for Yazidis.
After 2014 ISIS attacks on Yezidi communities in Sinjar, Thousands of Yezidis were kidnaped, massacred.
Despite the global efforts made to help the Yezidi community, the situation on the ground remains critical, with thousands of Yezidis still missing, and many continue to live in refugee camps and suffer from trauma and discrimination. Therefore, it’s important to continue to acknowledge and support the Yezidi community, not only on Yezidi Red Wednesday but every day, to ensure that they can rebuild their lives in safety and dignity.
The annual commemoration of Yezidi Red Wednesday serves as a reminder that the Yezidi community continues to struggle with the aftermath of the genocide and that they need support and assistance as they strive to rebuild their lives, families, and communities. The event also helps to raise awareness among people of different faiths about the Yezidi’s persecution and struggle for survival.
In conclusion, Yezidi Red Wednesday is an annual event that has been designated to remember and honor the victims of the Yezidi Genocide, raise awareness about the ongoing persecution and struggle of the Yezidi community, and show solidarity with them across the world. We should continue to support them in efforts to rebuild their lives with love, care, and compassion.