Marivan – Special ReportThe Vezhin Cultural and Artistic Center in the city of Marivan, one of the leading cultural institutions in Eastern Kurdistan, has decided this year not to hold the ceremony for awarding the Golden Sun Award on the night of Yalda (Shavchila). This decision comes at a time when the center has consistently organized this event in previous years, presenting the Golden Sun Award as a symbol of national unity across the Zagros region.On the evening of December 21, coinciding with Yalda night, the Vezhin Center issued an official statement explaining the reasons for this decision. The statement reads: "The struggle for life and light is part of the contemporary struggle of this nation. Therefore, our new generation, with the passion for the sun of liberation and the end of cold and winter, renews its covenant with the god of the new sun—a covenant with the land and with those who live on it. After thousands of years, love for the homeland becomes the anthem of the nation, and the redness of the sun symbolizes the blood of our children and the red color of our flag. Yalda, for us Kurds, is not merely a mythological symbol; it carries the meaning of the end of darkness and the dawn of national liberation, with its ultimate goal being human dignity and a meaningful life."In another part of the statement, the Vezhin Center notes: "Throughout its history, the Vezhin Cultural and Artistic Center has succeeded, by relying on historical and scientific truths, in restoring the ritual of Shavchila and Yalda to its true essence and making it the property of the indigenous people of this region. Through innovations and initiatives such as the 'Golden Sun Award,' it has turned the Yalda occasion into a catalyst for national unity across the Zagros region. Since the year 2712 (1391 in the Persian calendar), it has celebrated the sacred Yalda in most years."Regarding the decision not to hold the ceremony this year, the Vezhin Center pointed to the following reasons:"This year, as we approach Yalda, Kurdistan is in a different atmosphere. Social, political, and economic crises have tightened their grip on life, opportunities for freedom are narrowing, and an unclear horizon is being painted. Therefore, despite our firm belief in the philosophical and symbolic meanings of Yalda, the social changes lead us to the conviction that we should not hold the Yalda ceremony this year."