Akitu is the Babylonian New Year festival, celebrated to honor the supreme god Marduk, the crown prince Nabû and other gods. The name Akitu is very ancient. In the third millennium BCE, the Sumerian population of southern Mesopotamia celebrated the festival of the sowing of barley ~ the á-ki-ti-še-gur-ku. It was celebrated for 12 days in the first month of the Babylonian calendar. The ancient Babylonians called it rêš šattim ~ "beginning of the year." Modern Babylonians knew it as Nisannu.

Starting on the day of the first new moon after the Spring Equinox and continuing for the next twelve days the Babylonians observed Akitu.

Celebrated for several millennia throughout ancient Mesopotamia, more than just a religious ceremony, the Akitu acted as a political device employed by the monarchy and the central priesthood to ensure the supremacy of the king, the national god and his capital city. Politics and religion in Mesopotamia were irrevocably intertwined. Myths and their supportive rituals justified social institutions and legitimized rulers

The Akitu New Year is quickly approaching. This festival is one of the oldest recorded religious festivals in the world. In the Julian calendar, the Babylonian New Year starts April 14th. Right now, we are seeking creative ideas for Mesopotamia's one and only festival held each year at Ancient Worlds. Please post your ideas.