Yezidi people celebrate Sere Sal, their New Year, in North and East Syria with cultural event and festivities

AMUDA, Syria — On Wednesday, the Yezidi people celebrated their new year, Sere Sal, or Red Wednesday.

To mark Sere Sal, a special celebration was organized in the village of Diger in Amuda, North and East Syria.

The celebration was attended by a delegation from the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), representatives of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), various political parties, clan dignitaries, and members of civil institutions from various ethnic and religious groups.

Speeches by Co-Chairs of the Yezidi House in the Gozarto (Jazira) Region Suleiman Hamo and Laila Mahmo and co-chair of the Democratic Society Movement (TEV-DEM) Gharib Hesso were delivered.

The celebration will include a musical performance by the (The Martyr Ezda), a dance performance by the bands (Lalesh and Ezda).

Sere Sal is a day that celebrates creation, rebirth, and the beginning of the universe. For the Yezidis, it is a sacred day. Young men and women color boiled eggs in colors representative of the seasons of the year. In Yezidi belief, the egg symbolizes the earth.

On the Tuesday morning before Sere Sal, people visit the graves of their loved ones, carrying fruits and sweets to distribute them to children and the poor.

The AANES and the Syriac Union Party (SUP) both extended their best wishes to the Yezidi community on the advent of the New Year.

“This holiday has historical and religious meanings and a clear expression of the historical heritage of the Yezidi people,” said AANES in a statement. “The AANES and its achievements embrace all ethnic components and beliefs.”

AANES declared Wednesday and Thursday as official holidays for AANES employees.

The SUP issued a congratulatory message in which it offered warmest congratulations to the Yezidis in Syria and around the world. The SUP wished that goodness and peace would prevail throughout our country and that all national and religious components would live in brotherhood and coexistence within a pluralistic, democratic, and decentralized state, which would preserve rights and freedoms for all its peoples.