YazidiBooks
Get the app

Calendar

The Yazidi calendar

The dates of the Yazidi feasts, fasts and days of remembrance for the coming twelve months. The same calendar, with reminders, is in the app.

Next feast

Cejna Cemayê, the Feast of the Assembly

6 to 13 October 2026

The coming twelve months

  1. 6Oct

    Cejna Cemayê, the Feast of the Assembly

    The great annual pilgrimage to Lalish in honour of Şêx Adî, from 6 to 13 October. Pilgrims gather for processions, the reciting of qewlên, shared meals and the lighting of lamps.

  2. 18Dec

    Rojiyên Êzî and Cejna Êzî

    Fast: 15 to 17 December 2026

    Three days of fasting from Tuesday to Thursday in honour of Êzîd, followed by the Feast of Êzîd on the Friday, a day of joy and visiting family.

  3. 18Feb

    Xidir Nebî and Xidir Ilyas

    Fast: 15 to 17 February 2027

    A feast of love and wishes, after three days of fasting from Monday to Wednesday. Xidir Ilyas is celebrated on the Thursday and Xidir Nebî on the Friday.

  4. 17Mar

    Kloça Serê Salê

    The New Year bread, kept by Yazidi families in Armenia and Georgia. A kloça is baked with a bead or coin inside and shared by the whole family the next morning.

  5. 14Apr

    Çarşema Sor, the Yazidi New Year

    Red Wednesday, the Yazidi New Year. Celebrations begin on the Tuesday evening: eggs are boiled and coloured, festive bread is baked, doors are decorated with red flowers and families remember their loved ones at the graves.

  6. 3Aug

    Remembrance of the Yazidi Genocide

    Remembrance

    On 3 August 2014 ISIS attacked Şingal (Sinjar). Thousands of Yazidis were killed and thousands of women and children were taken captive. The day is recognised by Iraq, the Kurdistan Region and Armenia.

Why the dates change every year

Most Yazidi feasts follow the old Julian calendar and fall on a set day of the week. The New Year, Çarşema Sor, is the first Wednesday of April in the Julian calendar, which is the first Wednesday on or after 14 April in today’s calendar. That is why it can fall on any day from 14 to 20 April.

Xidir Nebî and Xidir Ilyas follows the same pattern in February, on a Thursday, and the Feast of Êzîd is the Friday before 21 December. Cejna Cemayê at Lalish and the remembrance of the genocide on 3 August keep the same date every year.

Local customs can differ between regions and families. If your community keeps a different date, we would love to hear from you.

Dates checked against: Stelle für Jesidische Angelegenheiten, Wikipedia: Yazidi New Year, Wikipedia: Feast of Ezid, Wikipedia: Cejna Cemayê. Contact

Explore the app

Start learning with your community

YazidiBooks is free on iOS and Android, for the whole community.

App StoreGoogle Play