For the past four years, Halve village in Sardasht (Serdeşt), Iranian Kurdistan (Rojhilat), has proudly hosted the Bilindane festival. Originally conceived as a grassroots initiative to mark the end of winter, the event has evolved into a major cultural celebration.
Today, it attracts enthusiastic participation not only from Kurds across Iranian Kurdistan but also from Iraqi Kurdistan—most notably from the city of Qeladizê—whose residents journey to Halve to share in the festivities.
During the ceremony, men and women donning their traditional costumes celebrate the arrival of spring with an array of Kurdish songs and dances. The festival features performances by poets and singers accompanied by live musicians, while the iconic Kurdish folk dance “Halprake” vividly encapsulates the collective spirit and unity of the community.
Although the Islamic Republic of Iran has not recently imposed severe restrictions on such cultural events in Iranian Kurdistan, it has historically withheld formal approval due to the mixed-gender nature of these celebrations.
