Kha b-Nisan

Kha b' Nisan
Kha b' Nisan celebration in Nahla region
Official nameSyriac: ܚܕ ܒܢܝܣܢ
Observed byAssyrian people
TypeCultural
SignificanceNew Year holiday
Date1 April
Next time1 April 2025 (2025-04-01)
Related toAkitu, Seharane, Noruz

Kha b-Nisan, Ha b-Nisin,[1] or Ha b-Nison (Syriac: ܚܕ ܒܢܝܣܢ, "First of April"), also known as Resha d-Sheta (Syriac: ܪܫܐ ܕܫܢܬܐ, "Head of the year") and as Akitu (ܐܟܝܬܘ), or Assyrian New Year,[2][unreliable source?] is the spring festival among the indigenous Assyrians of northern Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and northwestern Iran,[3] celebrated on the first day of April.

The festival has its roots in the ancient Mesopotamian religion and its festival of Akitu, which were practiced by Assyrians until the faith's gradual demise in the face of Syriac Christianity between the 1st and 4th centuries AD. Today, Assyrians are predominantly Christian,[4] with most being adherents of the Assyrian Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Syriac Catholic Church, Ancient Church of the East, Assyrian Pentecostal Church and Assyrian Evangelical Church.

Celebrations involve parades and parties. Some Assyrians wear traditional costumes and dance for hours. Celebrations take place throughout Assyria and other areas in the Middle East, along with some in the United States, Europe, Australia, Canada and the Caucasus among Assyrian diaspora communities.[5][6] There are often parties with food, music and dancing.[7][unreliable source?]

  1. ^ AUA Release 26 March 2006. Archived 20 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Michael Chammas. "Assyrian new year". Fairfield Champion. 26 March 2008. Archived 6 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Laing-Marshall 2005, p. 149-150.
  4. ^ For Assyrians as a Christian people, see
  5. ^ Emmanuel, Ninos (23 March 2022). "Assyrian New Year Celebrations in Sydney". SBS Language. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  6. ^ Aredas, Alysson (2 April 2017). "Celebrating the Assyrian New Year in California". Assyrian International News Agency. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  7. ^ Aimie Rivera. "Assyrians celebrate new year". The Signal. 3/19/08. Archived 8 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine