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    Al Qosh celebrates Akito

    Al Qosh Celebrates Akito

    Courtesy Photo | People gathered from all over in Ninevah Province, Iraq on April First to celebrate...... read more read more

    AL QOSH, IRAQ

    04.18.2006

    Courtesy Story

    345th Public Affairs Detachment

    By Army 2nd Lt. Penny Bartelme
    138th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

    AL QOSH, Iraq (April 1, 2006) - Throngs of people gathered in Al Qosh in the Ninevah province to celebrate the Assyrian New Year on April First.

    The Assyrian new year is recognized as the most important national festival handed down through history.

    "We are celebrating Akito. Akito is 'the coming of water," this is the Assyrian, and Babylonian mother of all celebrations." Said Maureen Kharzo, Assyrian Linguist and Culturist.

    The Assyrian New year was and still is the biggest festival for the ancient Assyrian and Babylonian Empires. People from all over the empire would travel to either Nineveh, the political capital, or Babylon, the religious capital

    According to Kharzo, the celebration originally began on Mar. 21 and went for 12 days. Today Akito is celebrated on Apr. 1 because they did not want to celebrate the new year the same day as the Kurdish new year, which is celebrated on Mar.21.

    "[The] Kurdish and Assyrian [people] celebrate the same thing. The purpose of the celebration is new life and spring," said Kharzo. "Assyria and Babylon are a lot older, so this [celebration] originated from the Assyrians and Babylonians."

    According to Kharzo, the ritual began with the people going to the Assyrian temples and reading the stories of creation. Akito is celebrated a little differently today.

    "Now a-days they just have a long parade," she said. "Carrying the flags of the countries they are celebrating. Assyrians celebrate this all over the world. After the parade there will be political speeches, singing, dancing and a fashion show that shows the clothes of Assyrian times."

    According to the Assyrian Universal Alliance, Apr. 1st was designated as the official national day for Assyrians all over the world in 1968. It is the beginning of spring when nature wakes up from the winter sleep and new life begins.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 04.18.2006
    Date Posted: 04.18.2006 13:16
    Story ID: 6067
    Location: AL QOSH, IQ

    Web Views: 121
    Downloads: 9

    PUBLIC DOMAIN