Kurdish New Year

Newroz

Newroz is an ancient Kurdish festival, celebrated annually upon the beginning of the Spring season in the Northern Hemisphere, which falls around the 21st March.

Newroz is the Kurdish New Year.
It is the Kurdish national holiday that marks the beginning of the year.

The origin and principle of Newroz are scientific.
It is not based on religion.
Meanwhile, the celebration of Spring as the New Year (Newroz) has been incorporated in ancient Kurdish religion, such as Ezidism, Yarsanism and Zoroastrianism.

This celebration has had different names over thousands of years, and can be linked to the Sumerian new year celebration which also occurred at the arrival of Spring.

In the Sumerian civilization (around 6th Millennium BCE – 2nd Millennium BCE), the beginning of the Spring season marked the beginning of the New Year.
The New Year celebration was called 𒍠𒈬 “Zagmu”, commonly known as Zagmuk.
This was celebrated around March-April.

This is why the New Year in Ezidism falls at the beginning of April – The New Year in Ezidism is the Kurdish New Year, Newroz, which can be linked to the Zagmu celebration of the Sumerians.



𒍠𒈬 “Zagmu” literally means “beginning of the year”.

𒍠 “zag” means “beginning”.

𒈬 “mu” means “year”.

(Text shown in Sumerian Cuneiform)

Meaning of Newroz

Newroz literally means “new-day” in the Kurdish language.

New – New
Roz – Day

“New” and “Roz” are Kurdish words. Their etymology can be traced back thousands of years.

New
Kurmancî: Nû
Zazakî: Newe
Soranî: Nwê
Kełhuřî: Nü
Hewramî: No
Luřî: Nu

Old Atropatene: Nu

(3rd Century AD – 7th Century AD) Sassanian Pahlawani: Nog
(3rd Century BC – 3rd Century AD) Arsacid Pahlawani: Nawāg
(1nd Millennium BCE) Median: Nava
(2nd Millennium BCE) Avestan: Nava
(2nd Millennium BCE) Luwian: Nawa
(2nd Millennium BCE) Hittite: Newa

Roz
Kurmancî: Roj
Zazakî: Roj
Soranî: Řoj
Kełhuřî: Řûj
Hewramî: Řoj
Luřî: Řûj

Old Atropatene: Roj

(3rd Century AD – 7th Century AD) Sassanian Pahlawani: Roz
(3rd Century BC – 3rd Century AD) Arsacid Pahlawani: Rož
(1nd Millennium BCE) Median: Raucah
(2nd Millennium BCE) Avestan: Raocah – Meaning: light/ daylight/ luminous/ shining

Happy Newroz!