ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - As this year’s Newroz coincides with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Duhok has urged people to keep their celebrations of the Kurdish new year small.
Hasan Fatah, spokesperson for Duhok’s directorate of culture and arts, told Rudaw that they will light bonfires on the summits of Kelya Shada, Kelya Fareni, and Zawa Mountain around the city in the evening of March 20, but he asked people to join in the event by lighting a lantern in their homes.
On Newroz, Kurds celebrate the first day of spring and the start of the New Year, the year 2724.
One of the main traditions of the festival is to climb a mountain and light a bonfire. Celebrations also usually involve picnics and consuming lots of food, which conflicts with the month of Ramadan when Muslims fast during the day.
The largest celebrations take place in the town of Akre, which is dubbed the capital of Newroz. Last year more than 107,000 people visited for the Newroz festival, according to the town’s tourism directorate.
This year, due to Ramadan, organizers of the celebration in Akre decided they will begin after iftar, the evening meal when Muslims break their fast after the sun has set.
