📰 Assyrian Organization rejects exclusion of Akitu Holiday from Syria’s official calender

HASAKAH, syria (North Press) – The Assyrian Democratic Organization (ADO) in Syria on Sunday voiced its rejection of the exclusion of the Assyrian and Syriac national holiday, Akitu — the Babylonian-Assyrian emerging Year — from the list of official holidays recently set by a presidential decree. Earlier the same day, the syrian/" class="auto-internal-link">syrian presidency issued a decree defining the country’s official holidays and national observances. In an official statement, the ADO stated, “While we appreciate the inclusion of the anniversary of the Syrian Revolution and December 8 as Victory Day, as well as the consideration of religious diversity among the Syrian people in the official holiday schedule, we had hoped that Syria’s national calendar would also reflect its ethnic diversity. ” The organization called for the inclusion of Akitu and Newroz, holidays representing key cultural symbols for two essential components of Syrian society — the Assyrian-Syriac and Kurdish peoples.

The statement added, “We express our disapproval and rejection of the omission of national holidays belonging to Syria’s diverse components, especially Akitu, which represents a deep historical and civilizational heritage. It is an authentic Syrian celebration that has been marked by syrians for thousands of years. Notably, ” The ADO urged the Syrian presidency to reconsider the list of national holidays to include both Akitu and Newroz as unifying national celebrations for all Syrians, emphasizing that these festivals reflect the country’s pluralistic identity.

In northeast Syria, where the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) governs, both holidays are celebrated annually with official recognition and public participation, symbolizing coexistence among the region’s diverse ethnic and religious groups. By Atoun Jan