Spring has come, welcome the New Year

The name of the holiday comes from two ancient Iranian words: “no” – “new” and “ruz” – “day” or “light”. Literally – “New World”. The arrival of Navruz symbolizes the triumph of light and sun after winter. This is probably why it is so closely associated with the symbolism of fire. And accordingly – with those who worshiped him. The oldest source that mentions the celebration of Nowruz is the holy book of the Zoroastrians “Avesta”. According to the Avesta, when the prophet Zarathustra talked with God Ahura Mazda, the giver of Love, Blessing, Support and Light, he was told that every spring people should celebrate the appearance of life on earth, which arose “in six forms” – heaven, earth, water, plants, animals and humans.

The further history of the spread of the celebration of Navruz can be traced from the book “Navruzname” (“Book of Navruz”) by the famous Omar Khayyam. This work mentions that the history of the origin of Nowruz goes back to the time of one of the oldest Persian kingdoms in the world – Peshdodien and is associated with the name of the legendary ruler Jamshid. It was he who taught people to wear clothes made of fabric instead of animal skins, divided them into professions and classes, and streamlined the laws and rules by which people should live. He also lit the first priestly fire of Atur-Farybagh in Khorezm. And the day when this happened was called Navruz and they began to celebrate it as the beginning of a new year.

The holiday has a complicated history. It was canceled many times, but it was not possible to completely eradicate it even in Soviet Central Asia. Now in the post-Soviet space it is celebrated in countries such as Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan – widely and for a long time.

Traditions of celebrating Navruz

The celebration of the New Solar Year has traditions common to all Iranian-speaking and Turkic peoples. The main ones are cleansing the house and yourself on the eve of the holiday. On the eve of the celebration, the house and yard were cleared of rubbish, getting rid of everything unnecessary. It was believed that on Navruz one should start life from scratch. In connection with this, before these days they even concluded military truces and forgave insults to their worst enemies. Then followed a cheerful and vibrant meeting of Navruz – with abundant food, many guests and all sorts of entertainment and competitions. Because, according to beliefs, the more fun and joyful Navruz is, the more generous nature will be to people. Well, and also various rituals associated with fire. Moreover, in each country these traditions are transformed in their own way.

In UzbekistanFor example, on the festive table it is customary to serve dishes that “have come into contact with fire.” And this is not only traditional pilaf, but also various products made from dough with young herbs – kuk-samsa (samosa with herbs), kuk-manty (manti with herbs), kuk-chuchvara (dumplings with herbs). But the main holiday dish in Uzbekistan is sumalak, which is prepared from sprouted wheat grains with the addition of butter and flour. As the legend says, once upon a time it was this simple dish made from the remains of sprouted wheat at the bottom of sacks that saved the inhabitants of the Uzbek fortress city, besieged by enemies, from hunger and gave them strength. Sumalak begins to be cooked on the eve of the holiday – in a large cauldron, stirring constantly, it is cooked all night. Moreover, the women of the entire makhali (district) prepare it, taking turns replacing each other at the cauldron. Pebbles are placed at the bottom of the cauldron to prevent the dish from burning and to help crush the ingredients. Sometimes these pebbles end up in someone’s cup the next day. It is believed to be good luck.

On the eve of the holiday, hashar is organized in cities and villages – houses and streets are put in order, flowers and trees are planted. The morning of Navruz in Uzbek cities begins with the loud sounds of long trumpets – karnays and surnays, convening people for festive festivities. Sports competitions that develop strength and agility are held in high esteem: kurash wrestling, ulak-kupkari, tug-of-war, horse racing, archery. In the afternoon, a large dastarkhan is celebrated, for which the whole large family should gather. In addition to the above-mentioned sumalak, pilaf, and samsa, there should also be colored eggs on the table. Just like our Easter. Only in Uzbekistan are they traditionally green, symbolizing new life and rebirth. Much attention is paid to guests on this day. Moreover, it is especially important who is the first of the guests to cross the threshold of the house on this day. This must be an honest, kind-hearted person, as they say, “with a good leg.” Then prosperity will enter the house with him. Well, in the evening bonfires are lit in the streets. The tradition of jumping over the fire is still in use in order to burn all the sins of the past year and enter the new solar year renewed. Moreover, according to tradition, you need to jump over one fire seven times or over seven fires once. In Uzbekistan, it is believed that the first 13 days are the most important during Navruz. They determine the course of the coming year. Therefore, these days it is important to visit relatives, meet friends, and give gifts. And all the goodness will then return to you a hundredfold…

In Kazakhstan The holiday is called Nauryz. But this does not change its essence and traditions. Since 2009, three days of celebration have been holidays in the country. The day before, according to tradition, the house is cleaned and festive clothes are prepared. On the night before Nauryz, large vats and containers are filled with grain, milk, ayran, and spring water – this should guarantee prosperity in the coming year. Among the Kazakhs, the main holiday dish is “Nauryz-kozhe”, consisting of 7 ingredients. The main ones are meat, grains, salt, fat, water as symbols of good luck, joy, health, prosperity and divine protection. At dawn, ritual events begin: clearing springs, planting trees, and by noon everyone sits down at the table, to which it is advisable to invite seven guests. Before serving food, prayers are read. And after the feast – sports competitions, games, songs and dances. Equestrian competitions are held in special esteem: Audary-spek, Kyz kuu, Kokpar. As well as cross-country racing “Baiga”. In the evening they hold akyn competitions, and after it’s completely dark there’s a big fire. It is customary to walk around courtyards and homes with torches lit from it.

In Azerbaijan Preparations for the holiday begin four weeks in advance. Every Tuesday they celebrate the awakening of one of the elements – alternately Water. Fire, Wind and Earth. On the last pre-holiday Tuesday, which is called Earth Day, it is customary to remember the dead, make wishes and tell fortunes about the betrothed. A couple of weeks before Novruz (as this holiday is called in Azerbaijan), they begin to sprout lentils or wheat on a large dish. Bright green shoots will become the main decoration of the table on Novruz. It is believed that there must be 7 dishes on the festive table, the names of which begin with the letter “c”. Among the main ones are sumac spice made from ground berries of the vinegar tree, the same sprouted wheat semani, sabzi sauce, and sirke vinegar. The main holiday dish is Shah-pilaf, with chicken. Among sweets, a traditional treat is considered to be a shekerbura pie with a nut filling, decorated with patterns in the form of wheat ears. There should also be a mirror dish with candles and colored eggs on the table. Moreover, the number of candles should correspond to the number of household members. According to legends, the flame drives away evil spirits, and the mirror surface gives clarity of thought…

There is another interesting custom in Azerbaijan, akin to Christmas carols. These days, children leave their traditional arakhchyn hats at the doors of neighboring houses. Neighbors fill these caps with various treats. They can only be picked up after people close the door…

Azerbaijan also cannot do without traditional bonfires: round dances with songs are usually held around them.

In general, the traditions of celebrating Navruz, Nauryz, Novruz may differ. The essence remains unchanged – this is a holiday of goodness, light and renewal. That’s what we wish for everyone.