Kurds celebrate Kurdish Language Day

May 15 marks the annual celebration of the Kurdish Language Day, a day dedicated to recognizing Kurdish as a literary and cultural language. This year, the festivities were held in major centers such as Diyarbakır, Siirt, Van, and various districts, with significant public participation, as well as the Kurdish-populated regions in Iraq, Syria and Iran.

The event in Diyarbakır's Sûr district was organized by the Mesopotamia Language and Culture Research Association (MED-DER) at the Grand Mosque Square. It featured performances by traditional Kurdish storytellers and poets, known as Dengbêj and Çîrokbêj, showcasing the richness of the Kurdish language. The audience engaged in traditional interactive games and entertainment, including riddles known as "mamikler."

As the event concluded, participants and spectators joined together to sing "Zimanê Kurdî" (Kurdish Language), symbolizing unity and cultural pride.

The Kurdish Language Day commemorates the anniversary of the publication of the first issue of the Kurdish magazine Hawar in 1932 in Damascus, using the Latin alphabet. The magazine's launch is considered a pivotal moment in the development and standardization of the Kurdish language.

For the last century, the Kurdish language has faced systematic assimilation, oppression, and bans. The publication of Hawar on May 15 has been celebrated as the Kurdish Language Day since 2006, in recognition of its contributions to the preservation and development of Kurdish.

Hawar magazine has been at the forefront of significant changes in language, culture, identity, and literature, providing a platform for prominent Kurdish literary figures such as Osman Sabri, Nurettin Zaza, and Cegerxwîn to emerge. (AEK/VK)