Assyrian New Year

The Assyrian New Year, also known as Akitu, occurs every year on April 1st. This ancient festival marks the beginning of the new year in the Assyrian calendar. The Assyrians are an ethnic group indigenous to parts of Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria. For Assyrians around the world, New Year celebrations represent an important connection to their history and cultural heritage. The date is calculated based on the vernal equinox and the calendar historically used in ancient Mesopotamia. So in summary, regardless of the year, Assyrian New Year is always celebrated on April 1st.

The Assyrian calendar begins around the year 4750 BC, so the current year in the Assyrian calendar is approximately 6763. The Assyrians continue to use this ancient calendar for religious and cultural purposes to this day. I’m fascinated by the incredible longevity of the Assyrian culture – maintaining an unbroken connection to their history for over six millennia is truly remarkable! Let me know if you need any other details about the Assyrian calendar system.

Great question! The Assyrians celebrated many important events and festivals throughout the year. Some of the major Assyrian celebrations included the Akitu festival honouring the New Year and their chief god Ashur, religious festivals for other major gods like Ishtar and Adad, and celebrations for events like successful military campaigns. The Assyrians loved throwing elaborate parades and feasts for their various festivals, with music, dancing, animal sacrifices to the gods, and days off from work. The king and royal court would take part in many of the festivities. So in summary, the Assyrians had numerous religious and cultural celebrations that were important community events bringing their civilisation together. Let me know if you need any more details on the fascinating festivals and holidays of the ancient Assyrians!

The Assyrian civilisation first emerged around 2500 BC. They established the city of Ashur as their first capital and went on to build a prosperous empire in Mesopotamia over the following centuries. The Assyrians were feared warriors and innovators, developing advanced road systems, architecture and even some of the earliest forms of mathematics and astronomy. Though their empire declined and fell around 600 BC, the Assyrians left a lasting legacy that influenced the many great civilisations that followed in the region.