Preserving Memory · Celebrating Identity · Honouring the Year
Fixed Memorial & Cultural Dates
1January
Gregorian New Year
The start of the international civil calendar — a shared threshold of time observed across cultures and continents.
5February
Ghulja Massacre — 1997 ◼
A solemn Black Day of mourning for the victims of the violent crackdown on peaceful protesters in Ghulja (Yining). Marked worldwide with vigils, seminars, and calls for justice.
21February
International Mother Tongue Day
A vital occasion for the diaspora to celebrate, teach, and transmit the Uyghur language to future generations — a living act of resistance against cultural erasure.
21March
Nowruz — Noruz 🌿
The ancient Spring Equinox festival celebrating the “New Day.” Families deep-clean their homes, cook the ceremonial Nawruz Köche (grain soup), and welcome the season of renewal with music and gathering.
5May
Uyghur Doppa Day 🎨
A vibrant celebration of identity. Communities across the globe wear the traditional hand-embroidered Doppa to proclaim cultural pride and counter assimilation with a dignified, visible gesture of belonging.
5July
Urumqi Massacre — 2009 ◼
A global Black Day of remembrance for the victims of the July 5th tragedy in Ürümqi. Communities hold protests and educational events to keep the historical record alive and demand accountability.
12November
East Turkistan National Day 🏳
Commemorates the declarations of independence of the First and Second East Turkistan Republics (1933 & 1944). The Blue Flag — bearing the crescent and star — is raised in homes and public spaces as a symbol of the aspiration for freedom.
Movable Religious Holidays · Lunar Calendar
These dates shift approximately 10–11 days earlier each Gregorian year, following the Islamic lunar calendar.
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Rozi Heyit
Eid al-Fitr · Festival of Breaking the Fast
Marking the triumphant close of Ramadan, Rozi Heyit begins with the communal Heyit Namizi (Eid prayer). Families visit the graves of ancestors to offer prayers, then gather for festive meals. The Sama dance is traditionally performed in the courtyards of mosques — most famously at the Id Kah in Kashgar.
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Qurban Heyit
Eid al-Adha · Feast of Sacrifice
The most sacred religious holiday of the Uyghur year. Households perform the ritual sacrifice of livestock in the tradition of Ibrahim’s offering. Meat is shared generously with the poor and neighbours. Extended families unite for large communal feasts, prayers, and the renewal of bonds across generations.
Core Identity Pillars
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The Blue Flag
Flown prominently on November 12, the sky-blue standard bearing the crescent and star represents East Turkistan and embodies the unbroken aspiration for liberty and self-determination.
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Cultural Resistance
Mother Tongue Day and Doppa Day are essential instruments for diaspora communities to resist assimilation — maintaining a living connection to Uyghur heritage through language, dress, and art.
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Commemoration
February 5 and July 5 are observed as “Black Days” — solemn occasions for worldwide protests, educational seminars, and the determination to hold the historical record with clarity and care.
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Şərqi Türkistan · East Turkistan · شەرقىي تۈركىستان
Memory is the first act of freedom.
Prepared by Tahir imin, Uyghur linguist and Champion of Uyghur Language and Culture.founder of Uyghur Post, and Uyghur Times, also founder of the Uyghur Heritage Initiative. He started Uyghur Doppa Cultural Festival.