The town of Akre, known as the capital of Newroz, is bustling with preparations for the upcoming Newroz celebrations. Tourists and Kurds will gather in Akre to light hundreds of torches at dusk on Wednesday evening. This year, The organisers have prepared a grand total of 2,724 torches, representing the year 2724 in the Kurdish calendar. Which starts on March 21.
Though Peshmerga soldiers will hold 150 of the torches .Notable figures, including Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and diplomatic officials, will be in attendance at the Akre’s Newroz celebrations. The festivities will start right after iftar, as Newroz coincides with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan this year. Visitors to Akre will have the opportunity to partake in the traditional practice of climbing the town’s hill with torches after dusk.
This creates a vibrant and festive atmosphere, with fireworks illuminating the diverse town where Muslims, Christians, and people from various ethnic and religious backgrounds have peacefully coexisted for centuries. In addition to torches, a substantial number of fireworks and a lighting system were ready .The fireworks display will commence at the top of the mountain, where the torch-carrying groups have gathered. Masoud Haji Zubair, the head of the fireworks provider company, expressed excitement about this year’s fireworks, promising a spectacular show with the addition of laser lights.
Newroz holds great significance for Kurds throughout the Kurdistan Region. People from all over the region, as well as Kurdish areas in Turkey, Iran, and Syria, come together in Akre to honor the age-old tradition of lighting fires to welcome the New Year on the first day of spring. This celebration symbolizes freedom from tyranny and resistance.During the Newroz festivities, Kurds engage in picnics in the countryside and light bonfires with their loved ones. The occasion is widely known as the Kurdish New Year. Colorful and traditional Kurdish clothing adorns hundreds of thousands of people who partake in the celebrations and engage in lively dance performances across the Kurdistan Region.Overall, the Newroz celebrations in Akre are a vibrant and joyful time for Kurds to come together, celebrate their culture, and embrace the beginning of a new year.
