Yazidis celebrate New Year (+video)

On April 16, the Yazidi community of Armenia celebrated the New Year – Tawusi Melek. On the eve of their New Year, young Yazidis gathered in the temple "Sanctuary", which was built two years ago in the village of Aknalich, Armavir District, where they read the prayer, lit a fire and made their wishes.

This holiday is the Yazidis' major religious one. According to the legend, the Tawusi Melek is called "Red Wednesday".

The main symbol of the holiday is a sweet pastry named kloch cooked of seven components – flour, sugar, eggs, salt, sour cream, butter and water. It should be round in shape like the sun and the earth. The above seven components embody the seven days of the week and seven angels, who have descended from heaven, according to the Yazidi belief. A small bead is placed into a sweet pie, which is considered to be the main portion of the angel Tawusi Melek. Then, the pie is split among people. The one who finds the bead in his piece is deemed to be the elect for the year.

It is noteworthy that Yazidis are not accustomed that men eat at the same table with women; this tradition is followed to this day.

Yazidis follow the caste-and-theocratic structure of the society, where marriages among members of different castes, as well as marriages with followers of other faiths, are prohibited.

According to the Union of Yazidis of Armenia, there are about three million Yazidis in the world, of whom about 1.5 million live in Iraq. Armenia, according to the National Statistical Service, is currently inhabited by about 40,000 Yazidis.