International Navruz day or “Iranian New Year” is the national holiday of the Turkic peoples, one of the oldest holidays in human history. It is celebrated every year on March 21. Nowruz is not a religious holiday and is more associated with folk tradition.

Translated from Persian, Navruz means “new day” – the beginning of the New Year according to solar chronology, which coincides with the spring equinox. The holiday is believed to have its roots in Zoroastrianism, which is one of the reasons why not all Islamic figures recognize it. Historians determine the age of Navruz as more than three thousand years, and its homeland is Khorasan (a historical region in Central Asia).

The names of the holiday may vary in different countries – Nowruz, Nauruz, Nuruz, Nowruz, Nowruz, Nowruz, etc.

The holiday is celebrated by more than 300 million people around the world as the start of a new year and Famous Balkans, Middle East, Caucasus, Central Asia, Black Sea basin countries and other regions.

In 2009, the holiday was included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Intangible Cultural Heritage includes traditions and forms of creativity passed down from generation to generation.

On February 23, 2010, the UN General Assembly declared March 21 as International Nowruz Day. The General Assembly’s decision with this title was taken at the initiative of Azerbaijan, Albania, Afghanistan, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (now North Macedonia), India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Turkey.

Celebrating Nowruz means affirming life in harmony with nature, recognizing the inextricable link between creative work and natural renewal cycles, and a caring and respectful attitude towards natural life resources.

It is believed that this holiday promotes the values ​​of peace and solidarity both between generations and within the family, as well as values ​​of reconciliation and good neighborliness that contribute to the preservation of cultural diversity and the strengthening of friendship between peoples and different communities.

Each region’s Nowruz celebration traditions and rituals are different, but many features unite them. In most countries, symbolic fire and water are prepared before the holiday, with traditional dances ending with the bouncing of fires and streams.

In Iran, this type of dance is performed on the last Wednesday before Navruz and is known as Charshanbeh Suri or Charshanbeh-e Atash. In Azerbaijan, this tradition is performed four Wednesdays before Nowruz.

In many places where Navruz is celebrated, families stock up on water on the last Wednesday of the year, and in Kyrgyzstan, all containers in the house need to be filled on the eve of Eid. It is believed that this will bring abundance to the house in the new year and drive away troubles.

Another Nevruz tradition is to visit the cemetery before the feast and bring candles to commemorate the dead. In Kazakhstan, on the eve of Nowruz, two candles are placed in front of the front door of the house. In Azerbaijan, this ceremony is held on the second day of Navruz, known as Mother’s Day.

On the day of Nowruz, people go to visit each other and give gifts. Children are often given small toys, traditionally they play with artistically designed eggs. Families and local communities share a traditional treat of steamed rice and vegetables with a variety of local produce. In Kyrgyzstan, the festive meal is a public ceremony in certain parts of the city where Nooruz Keje, or Chon Keje, a soup made from beef, is prepared.

The common tradition of Navruz is to prepare a festive table on it. place a set of items is a symbolic gift to the Sun for a rich harvest. In particular, a mirror is placed on the table and candles are lit according to the number of family members that cannot be extinguished until they burn to the end.

It is the main dish of Nowruz. sumanak or sumalak – a sweet porridge made from sprouted wheat grains. Foods symbolizing purity, light, abundance, happiness and fertility should also be on the table in the New Year. According to tradition, seven dishes, the names of which begin with the letter “sin”, should be placed on the tablecloth: sipand (rue seeds), seb (apple), siahdane (black seeds), sanjid (wild olives), vinegar (vinegar), sir (garlic) and sabzi ( sprouted grain). In Iran, it includes: sekke (coin), serke (vinegar), sir (garlic), sumakh (spice), samanu (sprouted wheat dish), sanjed (loch berry) and sabze (greens, water-sprouted flaxseeds and grains) ) ). In Afghanistan, such a set includes mushrooms (somarek).

in Azerbaijan mother tongue pilaf, along with traditional desserts, is a holiday such as sugarbura, baklava and gogal. All of them have a symbolic meaning: Şekerbura is the symbol of the new moon, baklava is the symbol of the stars, and gogal is the symbol of the sun. Xiameni halva is also one of the symbols of Navruz. The composition of this halva is simple, but it is difficult to prepare: it takes about two weeks.

Navruz is traditionally accompanied by festivitiesfestive processions, concerts, cooks’ cooking competitions, sports competitions, large fairs and colorful exhibitions.

The material has been prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources.