Due to the bad weather and heavy snow, it was announced that the official and school hours would be suspended for days in the governorates of Sulaymaniyah and Halabja, and in some areas of the governorates of Erbil and Dohuk.
In this context, the Sulaymaniyah Education Directorate decided to postpone the midterm exams for the various academic levels, until next week.
Despite the warnings of the concerned authorities in the security forces, traffic and civil defense, of the danger of leaving homes and going to public places and mountain roads, many residents of cities in Kurdistan, such as Sulaymaniyah and Dohuk, and visitors from central and southern Iraq, flock to those areas to enjoy the snow and the beauty of the scenery. And holding Dabkeh rings, as most of the regions of the Kurdistan region are covered with white snow.
And because the Iraqi Kurdish region is known for its mountainous nature, the rainy and snow season has ancient social customs and rituals accompanying it, to the extent that the heat of joy in the snow melts the cold weather, and even turns it into a festive ritual that breaks the routine and spreads fun and fun.
In this context, the Iraqi youth, Rebin Mahmoud, said, in an interview with “Sky News Arabia”: “Despite the tremor of the bitter cold in this atmosphere, we are used to going out to enjoy the views of snowfall in the foothills of the mountains and in the middle of cities, making snowmen and throwing their balls in the atmosphere Joyful to her.”
He continued, “This helps us to get rid of the pressures of work and life. These moments must be immortalized in photos and videos.”“.
He added: “Even children’s joy is indescribable when they play in the snow, where they meet with their young peers in front of their homes, exchange snowball strikes, and even excel in making snow figures, and so everyone interacts warmly with the snow season, as well as enjoying the popular food recipes offered in the winter. “.
The sides of the public and mountain roads and their entrances are crowded with carts and stalls of hawkers, which are frequented by those who go to those places, to buy their needs for snowy trips, such as food, drink, and so on.
Many people are very accepting of certain drinks and foods common in cold, icy weather, such as “shalgam”, which is boiled beetroot dipped in molasses, boiled beans and chickpeas, as well as traditional hot drinks, on which the Iraqi tea sits, which is characterized by its strong flavor through fermentation..
It is noteworthy that the heavy snow wave has cut off most of the external roads linking the capital of the Kurdistan region, Erbil, with its districts and districts, such as Soran, Khalifan and Rawandz. Transportation routes have also been cut off with a large number of mountainous and remote border villages .
While the governorates of Dohuk and Sulaymaniyah have witnessed since Sunday, strong snow storms in their centers, the cities of Dohuk and Sulaymaniyah, and in the various districts and administrative units affiliated with them, as the external roads were largely out of service, despite the preoccupation of the specialized teams to open them and rid them of snow accumulation..
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