Traditions

Xha lî Xha (Village Co-operation)

'Xha lî Xha' — literally 'one to the other' — is a deeply-rooted village tradition of voluntary co-operation in tasks too large for one family: building a house...

Newroz Fire Jumping

On the evening of 20 March, the eve of Newroz, Kurds gather on mountain peaks or in city squares to light enormous bonfires of dry wood. These fires are not for...

Mourning Rites

Death has its own elaborate liturgy in Kurdish tradition. A large tent — the dîwana fatiha — is set up in the courtyard of the bereaved house to receive mourner...

Kurdish Hospitality

'The guest is dear' — an old Kurdish saying. Hospitality is one of the foundations of mountain Kurdish identity: a special guest room — the mêwanga — was kept i...

The Kurdish Wedding

A Kurdish wedding lasts not one day but three. It opens with the henna evening on Thursday at the bride's home, where the women gather to paint her hands and fe...