Kha b-Nisan

Kha b' Nisan
Kha b' Nisan celebration in Nahla region
Official name	Syriac: ܚܕ ܒܢܝܣܢ
Observed by	Assyrian people
Type	Cultural
Significance	New Year holiday
Date	1 April
Next time	1 April 2025 (2025-04-01)
Related to	Akitu, Seharane, Noruz

Kha b-Nisan, Ha b-Nisin,^[1] or Ha b-Nison (Syriac: ܚܕ ܒܢܝܣܢ, "First of April"), also known as Resha d-Sheta (Syriac: ܪܫܐ ܕܫܢܬܐ, "Head of the year") and as Akitu (ܐܟܝܬܘ), or Assyrian New Year,^{[2][unreliable source?]} is the spring festival among the indigenous Assyrians of northern Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and northwestern Iran,^[3] celebrated on the first day of April.

The festival has its roots in the ancient Mesopotamian religion and its festival of Akitu, which were practiced by Assyrians until the faith's gradual demise in the face of Syriac Christianity between the 1st and 4th centuries AD. Today, Assyrians are predominantly Christian,^[4] with most being adherents of the Assyrian Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Syriac Catholic Church, Ancient Church of the East, Assyrian Pentecostal Church and Assyrian Evangelical Church.

Celebrations involve parades and parties. Some Assyrians wear traditional costumes and dance for hours. Celebrations take place throughout Assyria and other areas in the Middle East, along with some in the United States, Europe, Australia, Canada and the Caucasus among Assyrian diaspora communities.^[5][6] There are often parties with food, music and dancing.^{[7][unreliable source?]}