On October 6th, Yazidis from around the world gather at Lalish, their holiest temple in the Shekhan district of northern Iraq, to begin the seven-day Jema festival, one of their most significant religious events. The term “Jema” means gathering, reflecting the communal and spiritual nature of the celebration.
The Yazidi faith, considered one of the oldest in the region, holds Lalish as its spiritual heart. Although the global Yazidi population is estimated to exceed one million, exact figures are uncertain. Many Yazidis fled to Europe during the 2014 ISIS invasion, while others remain in countries like Georgia, Russia, and Armenia.
The Yazidi Spiritual Council, which oversees religious matters, determines whether the Jema festival will take place each year. In the past, the festival has been postponed due to various tragedies, including a four-year hiatus from 2014 to 2018.
The festival unfolds over seven days, each marked by unique rituals and ceremonies. On the first day, religious leaders, including the Baba Sheikh, the Yazidi Spiritual Assembly, and the Chief Qawwal, gather at Lalish to recite prayers and perform religious dances. The second day features the “Qantar” ritual, where religious figures circle Lalish’s sacred sites.
Days three and four continue with various religious observances. On the fifth day, seven girls dressed in white represent angels, symbolizing divine presence within Lalish. The sixth day, known as “Qabagh,” includes the sacrifice of a bull to the sun god, with the meat becoming sacred and referred to as “Simat.”
The festival concludes on the seventh day with a ceremony called “Barbarsuwarkirin,” where a ringed bench is dipped in Lalish’s holy spring and placed inside the temple, marking the end of the celebration.