Assyrian New Year festivals canceled over regional security risks

Shafaq News- Baghdad

The Assyrian Democratic Movement (Zowaa) canceled on Saturday the planned observance of the Babylonian-Assyrian New Year, originally scheduled from April 1 to April 12, 2026.

In a statement, the Supreme Committee for April Celebrations cited “the circumstances of the Middle East and its impact on Iraq’s security,” noting that the decision aims to safeguard the safety of the Chaldean, Syriac, and Assyrian community.

Encouraging people to mark the occasion individually, within families at home and in local communities, the Committee underlined the importance of preserving the spirit of the holiday, associated with renewal, life, and freedom.

Assyrians, Chaldeans, and Syriacs in Iraq observe “Akitu” on the first day of April according to the Gregorian calendar, a tradition regarded as one of the oldest religious festivals known to human civilizations in Mesopotamia.

According to historical sources, the celebration of this holiday traces back to the 5th millennium BCE, with some historians indicating that the Sumerians observed it as early as the Ubaid period around 5300 BCE in Iraq. The Sumerians marked it at the beginning of spring to signify the renewal of the land and the agricultural cycle. Its rituals embody the creation myth and the narrative of “Enuma Elish,” during which life is restored to the god Marduk by his son, the god Nabu, symbolizing the return of life to nature and the beginning of a new cycle.