The Cizre Region Yazidi House held a celebration in the Dugirê village of Amûdê to mark the Yazidi Feast, Çarşema Sor (Red Wednesday).

Hundreds of Yazidis, representatives of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of the Cizre Region, members of non-governmental organizations, political movements, women's organizations, Arab and Syriac delegations, political parties, Kurdish and Arab opinion leaders attended the celebration.

Folk poems were performed during the celebration, alongside speeches by the Yazidi House Co-Chairs Sileman Hemo and Leyla Mehno, and Democratic Society Movement (TEV-DEM) Co-Chair Xerib Hiso.

In addition, Koma Şehit Ezda sang songs, while Lalesh and Şehit Ezda teams performed traditional dances. The play 'Mem û Zîn' was staged by the Theatre School team, and another play by the Bavê Teyar group.

RED WEDNESDAY

"Çarşema Sor" in Kurdish means "Red Wednesday". "Çarşem" consists of the Kurdish words "çar" for “four” and "şem" for “week”, meaning the "fourth day of the week", which is Wednesday. "Sor" means red. The day is also called "Sersal" (Kurdish "ser": up, head and/or top; and "sal": year), meaning "New Year".

NEW YEAR TIME

The Yazidi New Year is celebrated on the first Wednesday in April, which, according to the Yazidi calendar, is always the first day of April and the New Year. Since the Yazidi calendar follows the Gregorian calendar by 13 days, the New Year is celebrated on the first Wednesday in April, which falls on or after April 14th in the Gregorian calendar. In Kurdish, the month of April is called "Nîsan". The first day of the month "Nîsan" is the "Çarşema Sor".

MYTHOLOGY

According to Yazidi mythology, the "red Wednesday" is the day on which the creation of the earth was completed: The sun's rays reached the earth for the first time, turning the firmament red. The name "Red Wednesday" comes from this. Furthermore, it was the day on which the head of the Yazidi archangels, Tawisî Melek (God's angel), first came to earth. Tawisî Melek is the center of the seven archangels, so he represents Wednesday, the middle of the week or the center of the seven archangels. Wednesday is the rest day of the Yazidis, similar to Sunday for Christians.