The Assyrian Australian National Federation (AANF) together with The Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA), will be hosting this year's Assyrian New Year Festival on Sunday, 22nd March 2015, at Fairfield Showground. The Festival will start at 10:00 am till 10:00 pm. The Assyrian New Year Festival was the most prodigious celebration in ancient Assyria, including Babylon, Sumer and Akkad. Following the first new moon after the vernal equinox in late March when the Earth's equator passes the centre of the Sun, the Assyrians would honour the rebirth of the natural world with a multi-day festival called Akitu. This New Year's celebration dates back to 6765. During the Akitu, statues of the gods were paraded through the city streets, and rites were enacted to symbolize their victory over the forces of chaos. Through these rituals the Babylonians & Assyrians believed the world was symbolically cleansed and recreated by the gods in preparation for the New Year and the return of spring. The event organisers hope to highlight and strengthen cultural heritage by continuing a celebration which dates back to more than 6,000 years. Moreover the festival aims to promote cross-cultural understanding at the same time as encouraging inter-generational appreciation. The official opening will commence at 1:00 pm. Like the preceding years, the festival is expected to draw a crowd of over 8,000 attendees. Guest of honour this year will be the Prime Minister of Australia the Hon Tony Abbott MP, with noted dignitaries from Local, State, Federal Government, and special guests from overseas, together with representatives from different community organisations.

A whole array of entertainment will be on display including something for everyone and every age. Live musical performances by an assortment of Assyrian singers will entertain the audience as they dance the night away. As usual there will be great food, variety stalls, and different games and rides of fun for children. The festival will culminate with a spectacular fireworks display at 9:00 pm. For the fifth successive year, an exhibition is being organised by The Young Assyrians of The Assyrian Universal Alliance. The exhibition will display ancient reliefs; sculptures and history behind the unearthing of the ancient capital of Assyria "Nineveh" underscoring the Assyrian nation's contribution to the advancement of civilization. Nineveh was the largest city in the world, with a population of 150,000 in 700 BCE. Although the city itself is now in ruins, it is surrounded by a 7.5 mile brick rampart, most of which remains intact. The city has suffered greatly at the hands of ISIS invaders destroying Mosul Museum and the ancient cities of Nimrud and Khorsabad.

At 6:00 pm, a dramatic art piece based on Assyrian historical records of the New Year's Festival in ancient times will be performed by a collaboration of Assyrian youth groups. The theatrical piece will simulate the arrival of the King and Queen of Assyria from the remote past to bless the festivity. The New Year Festival will be aired live on the internet so that Assyrians and non-Assyrians alike can watch it live or on delay.The festival will can be viewed here and here. We invite all communities to come together and celebrate this New Year day with Australian Assyrians.