The Democratic Society Movement (TEV-DEM) in North-East Syria released a statement to mark the Yazidi New Year, Çarşema Sor (Red Wednesday).

TEV-DEM congratulated Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, the peoples of the region, the fighters on the front, the guerrillas, YJA Star, YPG, YPJ, SDF, YBŞ and the families of the martyrs on Çarşema Sor, stating that the modern philosophy of Abdullah Öcalan has revived the spirit and culture of the ancient Yazidi creed.

The statement pointed out that the Yazidi community is facing conspiracies in their homeland, Shengal, saying, “The occupying Turkish state is targeting the Yazidi community in cooperation with the KDP and the Iraqi government. They want to surround and destroy the Yazidis by building a wall. They want to destroy their gains and separate the region from North and East Syria.”

“We urge the political forces, legal organizations and non-governmental organizations in Kurdistan to protect the gains of the Yazidis in Shengal and to prevent a further genocide. The attacks carried out by the Iraqi forces against the Êzidxan Asayish yesterday put the Yazidi community in danger of a genocide,” TEV-DEM warned.

Red Wednesday

"Çarşema Sor" in Kurdish means "Red Wednesday". "Çarşem" consists of the Kurdish words "çar" for four and "şem" for week, meaning the "fourth day of the week", which is Wednesday. "Sor" means red. The day is also called "Sersal" (Kurdish "ser": up, head and/or top; and "sal": year), meaning "New Year".

New Year time

The Yazidi New Year is celebrated on the first Wednesday in April, which, according to the Yazidi calendar, is always the first day of April and the New Year. Since the Yazidi calendar follows the Gregorian calendar by 13 days, the New Year is celebrated on the first Wednesday in April, which falls on or after April 14th in the Gregorian calendar. In Kurdish, the month of April is called "Nîsan". The first day of the month "Nîsan" is the "Çarşema Sor".

Mythology

According to Yazidi mythology, the "red Wednesday" is the day on which the creation of the earth was completed: The sun's rays reached the earth for the first time, turning the firmament red. The name "Red Wednesday" comes from this. Furthermore, it was the day on which the head of the Yazidi archangels, Tawisî Melek (God's angel), first came to earth. Tawisî Melek is the center of the seven archangels, so he represents Wednesday, the middle of the week or the center of the seven archangels. Wednesday is the rest day of the Yazidis, similar to Sunday for Christians.