VIDEO: Centuries of Newroz fire fueling Kurdish spirit of resistance, survival
For centuries Kurds have celebrated a day called Newroz.
The word itself means a new day, but it also marks the start of a new year. It is the end of winter cold and the start of a new life.
Legend has it that more than 2,000 years ago a Kurdish blacksmith named Kawa smashed the head of a tyrant with his hammer and freed his people.
The fire lit on mountaintops back then to convey the good news, has been passed down from one generation to another, ever since.
Newroz is a happy day. Celebrating another year of survival and what better place to mark this happy day than the mountains.
The mountains provide the beauty and set the scene for Newroz, just as they have provided shelter and protection as far back as the Kurds can remember.
Kurdish clothes, music, the waving Kurdish flag and social gatherings are signs of Newroz.
Newroz has inspired a great deal of literature and art as it is also a preferred name for many newborn boys and girls.
But there is certainly more to Newroz than meets the eye.
It has become the Kurdish symbol of resistance. For a long time everything associated with Newroz were banned and Kurds paid a heavy price to light that fire.
The fire of Newroz and the love for the land has fueled the fighting spirit in the Kurds.
In the past three years they have been fighting a brutal terrorist group named ISIS in order to keep the diverse ethnic and religious communities of this land free and safe.
Despite years of separation and exile Newroz has managed to keep the Kurdish nation together.
The fire atop the mountains has no regard for borders. It crosses the boundaries and unites families and the people alike.
The word itself means a new day, but it also marks the start of a new year. It is the end of winter cold and the start of a new life.
Legend has it that more than 2,000 years ago a Kurdish blacksmith named Kawa smashed the head of a tyrant with his hammer and freed his people.
The fire lit on mountaintops back then to convey the good news, has been passed down from one generation to another, ever since.
Newroz is a happy day. Celebrating another year of survival and what better place to mark this happy day than the mountains.
The mountains provide the beauty and set the scene for Newroz, just as they have provided shelter and protection as far back as the Kurds can remember.
Kurdish clothes, music, the waving Kurdish flag and social gatherings are signs of Newroz.
Newroz has inspired a great deal of literature and art as it is also a preferred name for many newborn boys and girls.
But there is certainly more to Newroz than meets the eye.
It has become the Kurdish symbol of resistance. For a long time everything associated with Newroz were banned and Kurds paid a heavy price to light that fire.
The fire of Newroz and the love for the land has fueled the fighting spirit in the Kurds.
In the past three years they have been fighting a brutal terrorist group named ISIS in order to keep the diverse ethnic and religious communities of this land free and safe.
Despite years of separation and exile Newroz has managed to keep the Kurdish nation together.
The fire atop the mountains has no regard for borders. It crosses the boundaries and unites families and the people alike.