Nawroz

I was super super happy to have a few days off this past month and the occasion happened to be NAWROZ! (Pronounced nay-rooz) This holiday is huge around here and celebrates a Spring/New Year kind of thing. Also called Nouruz, Norouz, Norooz, Narooz, Nawruz, Newroz, Newruz, Nauruz, Nawroz, Noruz, Nohrooz, Novruz, Nauroz, Navroz, Naw-Rúz, Nowroj, Navroj, Nevruz, Наврӯз, Navruz, Navrez, Nooruz, Nauryz, Nevruz, Nowrouz,ნავრუზი. Just in case you wanted to know. There was a distinct holiday like feel around the office, the men sporting new clothing, people itching to leave ect. The best part of this holiday was Friday evening when thousands upon thousands of Suli people took to the streets. This is a fire based festival here and there were large bonfires burning as people danced around them. The hills of Suli rang with deafening Kurdish and Persian music and the Kurdish flag was waving everywhere. Little boys ran around selling bunches of narjes (like a mini daffodil) to the women. Everyone was dressed in their best. Men wearing the traditional Kurdish dress

And women wearing the glittery, gaudy, and ridiculously uncomfortable traditional Kurdish dress.

There were fireworks galore, and it was interesting to note that when the first boom went off that evening everything went silent for about five seconds. After people realized that it was fireworks, noise resumed as normal.

 The light poles were decorated with lights in the shape of narjes flowers.

 Evidence of the prevalence of the Kurdish flag at this event.

I had the great fortune to be included into a group of internationals and Kurds that were all getting together above the madness in a cafe. We sat there for hours watching the celebrations below and then descended into the hordes later.

In more personal news. I have moved. I promise to post pictures at some point. But let me just say I am remarkably happy that I have moved and I am in a much better situation now.