Navruz - Spring Festival

Spring with all nations - the time of rebirth and renewal, time expectations and hopes for peace between people, for a good harvest of love and harmony in the family, health and happiness of children, the offspring of barn and shed. And all of these expectations are embodied in spring festival of Nowruz.


Nowruz in Persian means "new day", but rather "a new day of the year." It is celebrated on March 21 - the day of the vernal equinox marks the beginning of the calendar year in Iran, Afghanistan, in the Kurdish areas of Iraq and Turkey, as well as in some countries in Central Asia. In Uzbekistan Navruz is a public holiday, but officially welcome the new year on the European calendar. And all celebrate this ancient festival hundreds of millions of people in the Near East and Central Asia, the Middle East. Nowruz sometimes referred to as Islamic holidays, but this is misleading. Although this event is really widely celebrated in the Muslim world, it is not related to Islam, and inherited from the ancient peoples. Suffice it to say that even in the fifth century BC holiday was known to the people of Iran. Here is how the celebration of Navruz Greek historian Strabo: "In the most ancient, ancient times to the present day inhabitants of Mesopotamia are going on that day in the Temple of Fire. This is the most revered holiday, when traders closed their shops, artisans will terminate. All have fun, treat each other beverages and foods to those who touched the fire. "

The earliest information about the celebration of Navruz in Uzbekistan are in Chinese, "Chronicle of the Tang Dynasty", relating to the VII century.

Nowruz from the origin, above all, was a national holiday, natural, basically pagan. So it remained until today. On this day, is not carried out any formal events such as parades, demonstrations, rallies and marches.

Not once did, and tried to ban Nowruz. Arab conquerors, for example, believed that a cheerful holiday spirit does not jibe with orthodox Islam. Believers did not protest, but the holiday savings.

On another occasion of Nowruz wanted to ban the Bolsheviks came to power, who have seen it a religious relic of the past. Citizens did not argue, but sumalak cooked. I think that it is the people element of the feast, when each participant felt by the particle total joy, and rescued from oblivion Nowruz.

But the full force of Nowruz sounded just after Uzbekistan became a free independent state. Characteristically, one of the first acts of the new government was the erection of Nowruz to the level of nationwide public holiday.

Like any meeting of the new year, Nowruz especially happy holiday. But unlike, say, from the European New Year, Nowruz marked the day.

A few days before the start of the holiday is usually arranged hashar, during which the residents clean, clean and decorate their cities and towns. It's so natural - to meet the party in a smart and well-kept house. By the beginning of Nowruz must be completed and all the household chores associated with cooking festive meal.

Varied and plentiful meal is the center of the holiday, which is arranged in the hope of the coming harvest and profitable year. On this day dastarkhan serves various national dishes - rice, Shurpa, boiled mutton or beef, kuk-samsa - cakes with green onions, sweet nisholdu.

But the crowning festive treats is undoubtedly a ritual meal sumalak, which the inhabitants of the republic can taste once a year, and her guests, most likely, once in a lifetime. Sumalak cooked flour and sprouted wheat grains, which are a symbol of eternal life, and represents dishes, taste and sweetness like a thick pudding. Cook it slowly, stirring the whole day in large boilers, which are placed at the bottom rounded pebbles to sumalak does not stick. Preparation sumalak - an ancient ritual, a tradition that deal with women, and they sing ditties, lyapaty, dancing to the sounds of doira, tell stories and have been having fun and joking. Ready meals are treated to family and friends, guests and neighbors. It is considered a good sign if a guest in a cup with a pebble sumalak will fall, means the whole year till the next Navruz will be happy, successful and healthy.

Meanwhile, the parks and squares on a background of flowering trees begin spontaneous fun. There are the traditional characters - Ziff-Khanum - Spring, farmers Bobo - Grandfather-farmer, Momo-Er - the Earth. In the car decorated with flowers, accompanied by musicians, they tour the streets and invite residents and visitors to the main square, where congratulate all of Navruz.

According to ancient custom, the feast day people forgive each other all the insults, tolerate those who are at loggerheads. Many come to visit the poor, lonely and helpless, warm them with care, give as gifts gifts. The celebration of Navruz lasts the whole month.

Filled with new content in independent Uzbekistan Navruz. His enthusiasm with the same note, people of all nationalities living in our republic for which it has become a common home. With the interest of his country and visitors are met.

In his famous essay "Navruzname" supposedly created by Omar Khayyam, there is a precept: "Who celebrates and has fun on the day of Nowruz, he will happily spend their lives till the next Navruz".