Assyrian Faith Community Celebrates 6,776 Years of Heritage in Tarzana

St. Mary's Assyrian Church prepares for 12-day Assyrian New Year festivities marking the start of spring and the preservation of ancient traditions.

Mar. 26, 2026 at 11:36pm

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The Assyrian community in Tarzana, Los Angeles is gearing up to celebrate the Assyrian New Year on April 1st, marking 6,776 years of one of the earliest civilizations in Mesopotamia. Families at St. Mary's Assyrian Church are busy preparing their traditional Akitu table display, which features symbolic items like the Holy Bible, a tree, Nisan's beard, frozen flowers, and various seeds, eggs, and fruits to represent their enduring faith, growth, prosperity, and renewal of life.

Why it matters

The Assyrian New Year celebration is an important annual tradition for the Assyrian community, which has faced violence, genocide, and displacement over the centuries. Marking this 6,776-year-old heritage helps preserve their cultural identity and pass on their stories to younger generations, especially as Assyrians have found refuge in the United States as a "melting pot" after World War II.

The details

The 12-day Assyrian New Year celebration at St. Mary's Assyrian Church in Tarzana features prayers, abundant food, elaborate clothing, and cultural dancing. The centerpiece of the festivities is the Akitu table display, which families construct in their homes with symbolic items like the Holy Bible, a tree, Nisan's beard, a bowl of frozen flowers that melt over time, and 7 seeds, eggs, and types of fruit to represent their faith, growth, prosperity, and the renewal of life.

  • The Assyrian New Year is celebrated every March for 12 days.
  • The celebration at St. Mary's Assyrian Church in Tarzana will take place on April 1, 2026.

The players

St. Mary's Assyrian Church

A vibrant Assyrian community in Tarzana, Los Angeles that is home to one of the largest Assyrian populations in the United States, second only to Chicago.

Natalie Ninveh Khooda

Known throughout Grenada Hills as 'The Community Connector', Khooda is a member of the Assyrian community who emphasizes the importance of celebrating their 6,776 years of heritage.

Arch-Priest Father George Bet-Rasho

The leader of the Assyrian community at St. Mary's Church in Tarzana, who oversees the preparations and celebration of the Assyrian New Year.

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What they’re saying

“We're very ancient. We're celebrating 6,776 years. We are the cradle of civilization.”

— Natalie Ninveh Khooda, Community Connector

“Assyrian New Year is a 12-day celebration originating in Mesopotamia, today's Iraq, by the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, (and) Assyrians.”

— Arch-Priest Father George Bet-Rasho, Leader of St. Mary's Assyrian Church

“It is important that we celebrate these traditions annually, to remind the upcoming generations of where they came from. It is through such festivities, our stories and our history is told to them.”

— Arch-Priest Father George Bet-Rasho, Leader of St. Mary's Assyrian Church

What’s next

St. Mary's Assyrian Church in Tarzana will host its Assyrian New Year celebration on April 1, 2026, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

The takeaway

The Assyrian community in Tarzana, Los Angeles is preserving its ancient heritage and cultural identity through the annual Assyrian New Year celebration, which serves as a reminder of their resilience and connection to their roots, even as a displaced and stateless people finding a new home in the United States.