The Assyrians of Turlock celebrated the Assyrian New Year 6767 by parading, dancing and flag-raising on March 25. Several local leaders, such as Turlock Mayor Gary Soiseth and stand-ins from Representative Jeff Denham’s office, were in attendance.
The Assyrian New Year Festival began with a parade from Central Park up Broadway Avenue to the fairgrounds. The parade featured floats from local Assyrian businesses, like Yonan’s Jewelers, as well as Assyrian churches, like Turlock’s Mar Addai Assyrian Church of the East.
Assyrians stood atop the floats in the colors of the Assyrian flag, which are familiar to America’s: red, white and blue. Children dressed in the Assyrian attire of their ancestors, and two were dressed as King Ashurbanipal and Queen Shamiram.
Those in the parade danced to Assyrian music and shouted in celebration from boats and trucks. Meanwhile, children passed flyers and pamphlets to onlookers.
The city was also involved in the festivities. Those who live on Broadway Avenue moved their vehicles and trash cans onto their lawns to allow the parade to pass through. Families sat on their porches and watched while the Assyrian children ran to their kids to give them beaded necklaces and lollipops.
When the parade stopped, a crowd gathered round for the raising of the Assyrian and American flags. After the flag-raising, Mayor Soiseth pulled an Assyrian child to his side to point out her American and Assyrian nationalism. His familiar slogan, “We are all Assyrian today,” was echoed by several of the other speakers and was met with applause.
Among the speakers was Mar Awa Royel, a bishop for the Assyrian Church of the East, who led the crowd in prayer. He said a speech that reminded Turlock citizens about the significance of the Assyrian New Year:
“Sadly, we have been forced to leave our own homeland through persecution and forced migrations and displacement, which our people are still suffering in the Middle East today. On this joyous occasion of our Assyrian New Year, we gather here together in order to raise the Assyrian flag in this great city of Turlock, and in so doing, we renew our commitment to live and to survive as Assyrians in the twenty-first century.”
To most Americans, we do live in the twenty-first century. To Assyrians, we live in the 68th.
“The festival [is] called ‘Resha D’Nissan.’ It means ‘first day of spring,’” explained Romina Pourtarverdi, Chair of Education of the Assyrian American Civic Club (AACC) in Turlock, which co-hosted the event along with the Central California Assyrian Student and Youth Association (CCASYA) and the Assyrian National Council of Stanislaus.
To many Middle Easterners, the ushering in of Spring is called “Nowruz” or “new day”. For Assyrians, the term is also known as “Akitu”.
“[Akitu] starts on the first day of the spring equinox and lasts twelve days long,” Raymond Rasho, Marketing Director of CCASYA, said.
This year, Akitu ran from March 20 through March 31, according to Pourtarverdi.
Pete Butler, a representative from Rep. Denham’s office, awarded a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition in celebration of the Assyrian New Year 6767 to the Assyrian American Civic Club of Turlock. Sam David, the AACC president, received the award.
Cooper Condit spoke on behalf of District 12 Assemblyman Heath Flora and also issued a certificate to David.
The last time that the Assyrian New Year festival was celebrated in Turlock was over a decade ago.
“Two of the main goals in the CCASYA mission statement is to work and preserve the Assyrian culture and to advance the status of Assyrians within the community,” Maggie Youkhanna, Secretary of CCASYA, said.
“As children ourselves, we were once the many kids you saw today on the floats, and to bring the celebration back and to share it with the community is just the beginning in helping us achieve those goals for our future generations.” 
Youkhanna, who is planning on attending California State University, Stanislaus (Stan State), next spring, said that many of the CCASYA members are Stan State students.
CCASYA’s President Anthony Narsi will be starting the teaching credential program. Education Director Michael Joseph will be graduating from Stan State this year. And Vice President Melinda Khubiar is an alumna of Stan State.
Atour Kamber (sophomore, Biology) had fun taking part in the parade while dressed in traditional Assyrian attire.
“I’ve never been to [an Assyrian New Year festival] at all! I’m so excited they’re gonna do it, and now it’s gonna become an annual thing. I’m so excited,” Kamber said.
The event ended with a traditional Assyrian dance called “khigga” that was accompanied by a reed instrument and drum called “zurna” and “dawola,” respectively.