Celebrating Akito at Erbil Citadel 2022

Ishtartv.com – rudaw.com

Julian Bechocha, 2 April, 2022

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Top leaders from the Kurdistan Region have sent celebratory messages to the Assyrian, Chaldean, and Syriac community in the Kurdistan Region on the occasion of Akitu, the Assyrian-Babylonian New Year.

The Assyrian, Chaldean, and Syriac community in the Kurdistan Region and all over the world on Friday are celebrating Akitu, the world's oldest holiday, a festival that marks the revival of nature in the spring and is dedicated to the rebirth of the god Marduk and his victory when he created the world out of chaos.

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani offered his "warmest congratulations" to the community. 

"On this occasion, we reiterate that the Kurdistan Region will remain the land of peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, and tolerance among faiths, nations and communities, preserving multiculturalism and harmony in Kurdistan," he said. 

Prime Minister Masrour Barzani also sent his regards to the Assyrian, Chaldean, and Syriac community, emphasizing "the importance of peaceful coexistence between all the different constituents of the Kurdistan Region."  

Large festivities typically take place in the community's ancestral homeland of the Nineveh Plains and Duhok, as well as other areas where the community has a presence. 

Many celebrate Akitu, also known as Kha b-Nisan, by wearing traditional costumes and holding parties with food, music, and dancing.

Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani also shared his remarks, assuring the "Assyrian Chaldean Syriac brothers and sisters that the principles of humanity unite us and that our destiny, happiness, and sorrow are linked to each other," while stressing the need to maintain the principle of coexistence.