Photo: Kayhan Mohammadi

Hats and Dresses: Hazara Culture Day celebrated around the world

The Hazara people have been celebrating Hazara Culture Day on 19 May in recent years in order to showcase the community’s varied history and culture, marked by dressing in traditional Hazaragi costumes.

The day has also become an occasion for non-Hazaras to express solidarity and praise for the community.

Lord David Alton, a member of the British House of Lords, marked the day with highlighting the community’s persecution .

Fawzia Koofi, a former member of Afghanistan’s parliament, posted her photos in traditional hand embroidered Hazaragi dress, emphasising Afghanistan’s cultural diversity. “Happy beautiful Hazara Culture Day!” She tweeted.

Kayhan Mohammadi, a Kabul-based photographer, posted photos of her parents in traditional Hazaragi costumes on Instagram with a detailed caption on what his photos and the Hazara Culture Day meant.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CsamlhtqneN/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Kayhan said:

“The Hazara are one of Afghanistan’s tribes, distinguished by their unique culture, dialect, and customs. In this collection, we’ve sought to explore the attire, household setup, and daily life of Hazaras living in Daizangi. In Hazara households, respect between men and women is apparent, with a clear priority given to individual freedoms and familial intimacy. Reading books and learning handicrafts are prioritized alongside routine and strenuous village work.

“I asked my parents to collaborate with us in this collection because this generation of Hazaras is transitioning from many stereotypes, taboos, and socio-cultural crises. Despite migration, instability, and neglect, they have made significant efforts to preserve Hazaragi culture, art, and dialect. They sacrificed their youth and a chance at a peaceful life and endured the harshest conditions and the worst economic situations to ensure that we, their Hazara sons and daughters, could attend school and university. This generation has given us many rights, and it is our duty to document and preserve their music, photographs, or couplets for history.”

Voice of Balochistan, an organisation based in Balochistan, Pakistan, home to a large community of Hazaras, celebrated the “mesmerizing symphony of Hazara culture”.

The Hazara All Party Parliamentary Group in the British Parliament also joined in the celebration, calling an “opportunity to embrace the rich diversity of Hazara culture.”

Public events have also been held in Pakistan, Europe and Australia.

A group of Hazaras gathered in Düsseldorf, Germany, on Thursday to mark the day with music, poetry and stories.

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