Such journeys by road, perilous in years past, have greatly increased because of an overall improvement in security around the country, and this year Kurdish authorities in the self-governing region eased entry procedures and ran TV ads to attract visitors from the rest of Iraq.

For the war-weary traveler, the Kurdish region offers not just a refuge from violence but also reliable electricity, stunning natural beauty, cooler weather, and fewer social restrictions.

"We have heard from people who have been there . . . that it's like being in a different country," said Haidr Mohammed Ali, 36, a government employee from Baghdad who was taking his wife, two children, and his cousin's family to the Kurdish city of Irbil by minibus.

In years past, many Iraqis spent the three-day Eid al-Fitr holiday indoors out of fear. Some of those who did venture out were killed by car bombs that tore apart markets and parks. Mosques were emptied of worshipers. Instead of visiting one another, relatives would speak by telephone.

For most Muslims, this year's holiday began yesterday; others will celebrate starting today.

Throughout more than six years of war, Iraqi Kurdistan - which runs its own affairs and is protected by its own militia force known as the peshmerga - has been safer than the rest of the country. It is home to some of the country's most beautiful countryside, attracting even a handful of tourists from the United States and Europe to see its waterfalls, mountains, and lakes.

Muslims typically celebrate Eid al-Fitr by visiting relatives and packing into parks to mark the end of a month of sunrise-to-sunset fasting. Many also visit family graves.

In the Kurdish city of Sulaimaniyah, Baghdad resident Tamara Murad was shopping for brand-name clothes that she cannot find in the capital. The 24-year-old said she felt "suffocated" by Baghdad's violence and its more conservative social environment. She and a female cousin were dressed in clothing young women would not dare to wear in Baghdad - Murad in jeans and a low-cut T-shirt and her cousin in a short skirt.

"We came here because in Baghdad we do not feel that we are free to wear what we want or walk on the street without the fear of being kidnapped or targeted by explosions," she said.

"We came here to smell the scent of freedom. But the fact that this journey must come to an end and we must head back to Baghdad, where we wither with the bitterness of life, spoils my happiness," she said.

In Baghdad, many Eid celebrants tried hard not to be consumed by the capital's woes. They danced, greeted one another warmly at mosques, and visited an amusement park.

And there was one auspicious sign welcomed by all: The night before, the drought-stricken country got a rare heavy rainstorm.

"Although I lost two sons in the sectarian strife, I am very optimistic this Eid. I feel that relief is coming to Iraqis," said homemaker Umm Mohammed. "What makes me more optimistic is to see that rain fell on the eve of Eid, the rain which we were deprived of for years."

Black Hawk Crash Kills a U.S. Troop

A Black Hawk helicopter crashed at a major U.S. air base in Iraq, killing one U.S. service member and injuring 12 others, the military said yesterday.

The UH-60 Black Hawk went down Saturday night at the Balad Air Base, about 50 miles north of Baghdad. The military said the crash was under investigation and gave no other details.

The helicopter went down on a night of high winds that tore through the area, whipping up a fierce sandstorm that was followed by rain and lightning.

With the latest death, at least 4,345 members of the U.S. military have died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003.

- Associated Press