Nusardil

Nusardil

Seventh Sunday after Pentecost (June)

Assyrian Christians celebrate Nusardil to commemorate the church's baptism ceremony. But the origins of the ceremony are said to date to pre-Christian times. Assyrian pagans worshipped gods of fire, air, and water. Sprinkling water on the path of a pagan religious procession was a common practice meant to show respect. When St. Thomas converted the Assyrians to Christianity in the first century c.e., he resorted to a mass baptism because of the many people involved. His splashing of water on a crowd of people, combined with the earlier pagan tradition, led to the current practice.
Traditionally, Nusardil participants splash or spill water on each other in a ritualistic way. Even those not associated with the celebration may get splashed for fun. Today, children also use squirt guns or similar devices to spray water on each other and on their elders. While the ceremony has its serious side, it is also a lighthearted occasion. Assyrian churches in America will often have a picnic on Nusardil. Food and a variety of outdoor games are combined with the water splashing ceremony.

CONTACTS:
Assyrian Church of the East
P.O. Box 621
Fairfield, New South Wales 2165 Australia
www.assyrianchurch.com.au