Kurdistan Flag Day: Honouring the Symbol of Kurdish Identity

PUKMEDIA

Kurdistan flag.

Today, December 17, 2025, marks Kurdistan Flag Day, during which the Kurdish people celebrate throughout the Kurdistan Region in vibrant traditional attire, and government institutions and schools stage activities and hoist the Kurdistan flag.

December 17 marks the Kurdish National Flag Day in the Kurdistan Region. In 2009, the Kurdistan Parliament designated December 17 as Kurdish National Flag Day, commemorating its first formal usage by the Republic of Kurdistan, also known as the Republic of Mahabad, on December 17, 1946.

A flag represents the symbol and identity of a nation, signifying its existence. Nowadays, every nation, whether sovereign or not, has its own flag. The United Nations, political parties, organisations, cultural and economic institutions, municipalities, universities, corporations, technological firms, sports clubs, festivals, and celebrations each have distinct flags and symbols. The flag of each nation and country differs from those of others, and the flags of organisations and institutions also vary, each possessing distinct colours, shapes, and meanings.

The flag recognised today as the flag of Kurdistan and the Kurdish nation originated in the early 20th century, during which Kurdish organisations in Istanbul were forming associations and publishing Kurdish publications and newspapers while trying to create a national flag for Kurdistan.

In 1919, the association of (Komalaya Rekxistina Jivake Kurdistan), which was founded in Istanbul by a number of Kurdish intellectuals, politicians and prominent personalities of the time, created the Kurdish national flag and demanded Kurdistan's independence.

The format of the modern Kurdish flag was designed by Dr. Mehrdad Izady and comprises a tricolour background and a centrally placed sun disk. The colours of the flag, from top to bottom, are red, white and green. The yellow sun disk at the centre has 21 rays, equal in size and shape. Both the sun emblem and the number 21 hold religious and cultural importance in the native Kurdish Yazdani religious traditions.

“Sunny Flag” features the sun at its centre, referred to as Roj or Rozh in Kurdish. This sun has precisely 21 rays, correlating with March 21, the date of Kurdish Newroz or the Kurdish New Year.
The Red: This colour stands for the blood of martyrs that fought for free Kurdistan, for their families, friends and the whole nation.

The Green: The colour symbolises the mesmerising and breathtaking landscape of Kurdistan. It also stands for vitality and life.

The White: This colour is simply equality and peace.

The Yellow: This colour expresses the light of the people and the course of life.



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