Nowruz: a holiday of kindness, humanism and equality

The peoples of the Middle East, the South Caucasus and Central Asia are preparing for Nowruz – the holiday of spring, joy, merriment and nature’s renewal. It represents the end of winter and the beginning of spring, a new year. The name of the holiday means in Persian “new day”, but in fact it symbolizes the coming of a New Year. The ancient literary masterpiece of Avest (6th century B.C.) describing the awakening of nature on March 21st of the Georgian style. This is the well-regarded and the most popular holiday which takes a special place in the ethnic culturology of peoples. Even though it is traditionally celebrated in countries with an Islamic culture, it has nothing in common with religion. Nowruz appeared in the pre-Islamic period. In the Soviet period it was celebrated unofficially, as the authorities didn’t allow it to be marked. People who celebrated the holiday publicly suffered ostracism. However, families which were devoted to traditions celebrated Nowruz. For the first time, Nowruz was celebrated as a national holiday of the Azerbaijani people at the state level in 1967, according to the initiative og an official of Azerbaijan, the writer and poet Shikhali Gurbanov.

Vestnik Kavkaza speaks about the traditions which precede the holiday in Azerbaijan, where it is celebrated as broadly as New Year in Russia.

From March 20 Azerbaijan has 10 days off, while festive events, arrangements and folk festivals cover the whole country. Actually, preparations for the holiday begin a month before the date. Tuesdays are key days in a week. Four Tuesdays precede Nowruz; each of them symbolizes the awakening of one of the natural elements. Each of the preceding Tuesdays – chershenbe – is named accordingly: su chershenbesi (Tuesday of water – snow begins to melt, it turns into water, springs and fills rivers); od chershenbesi (Tuesday of fire – fire is a symbol of the sun and warmth); yel chershenbesi (Tuesday of wind); and torpag chershenbesi (Tuesday of earth) which is called “yilakhyr chershenbesi” (the last chershenbe of the year). The awakening of the four elements of nature forebodes the fifth main element, the new bright day of Nowruz, the beginning of the revival and complete revitalization of the earth. The vernal equinox comes on March 20-21. It is closely connected with the universe in Nowruz traditions.

The first of the four Tuesdays of Nowruz – su chershenbesi (Tuesday of water) – symbolizes the first of the four elements of the universe and the beginning of nature’s renewal. According to folk legends, water is renewed this day, and slack water begins to flow. From this day, the last Tuesday of February, preparations for Nowruz begin.

The attitude to water is based on its property to wash away dirt. One of the traditions connected with water is jumping over running water for absolution from the sins of the past year. Moreover, members of one family spray water at each other before going to bed on the last night of the year.

When the sun rises, people traditionally go down to a river or a spring to wash their faces and spray water at each other. The custom is maintained in Azerbaijani villages even today. Everybody treats each other with sweets. In the morning, one eats something sweet – sugar or honey. And it is necessary to smell fragrant smoke – it is a symbol of absolution from “evil spirits.”

Water which is touched by a sunbeam is thought to be renewed and sacred. If a person has a bath in the water, his dreams will come true.

The fact that the first Tuesday is connected with water is not accidental. Water is the main source of life. As in mythology, water gives impetus to a natural awakening in reality. Water is the starting point for everything, the reason for life and death in the world. Life is not possible without water.

The second Tuesday of Nowruz – od chershenbesi – is the Tuesday of fire. On this day the beams of “the sky fire” - the sun - melt the snow; and nature is awakened. Od chershenbesi announces that not much time is left till spring and New Year. Warmth and the sky fire are turning snow into water and draining it, laying bare the earth, which is a source of richness and fruitfulness.

Fire symbolizes the absolution of a person from disease and evil. It is one of the main symbols of Nowruz. Fires are lit on the streets on the day. In ancient times, the fire should have been set by a boy - then, the fire was thought to be clean. Jumping over a fire on the last Tuesday before Nowruz is thought to be obligatory for every person, notwithstanding his or her gender or age. To clean your soul and body, it is necessary to jump over a fire seven times and say: “Let my troubles burn in the fire!”

It is thought that the worst things of the last year burn in the fire. Diseases, suffering, natural disasters, sins are swallowed by the fire, and a person is reborn. The fire shouldn’t be put out by water. It should die naturally. Ashes are collected and taken far away from home.

The Tuesday of wind symbolizes the awakening of nature, the beginning of the spring sowing campaign, a new agricultural season. According to legends, the awakened wind brings water and fire into action on the day. Azerbaijani folklore has many examples where wind is thought to be a god. Yel chershenbesi is the day of natural awaking, moral purity, equality. On this day, the growth of the integral part of Nowruz begins – syamyani – wheat germs which are symbols of life, prosperity, health and wealth, the first signs of spring and summer which follow it. No family celebrates Nowruz without syamyani.

The most solemn Tuesday is the Tuesday of earth. Yilakhyr chershenbesi is celebrated as broadly as Nowruz itself. For some days before yilakhyr chershenbesi a deep cleaning takes place in a house. This day everything bad is forgotten, and people step into a new stage of their lives.

The next day after yilakhyr chershenbesi, the host takes a bunch of wheat and throws it on the house’s roof, calling for prosperity and wealth. Members of a family collect “black” coins, coal, salt to a pottery jar and throw them from the roof to the street. Coal symbolizes hard days, “black coins” – poverty; salt – gluttony.

Candles must be lit on chershenbe. Pilaff is served on the table, as rice symbolizes wealth. Syamyani, shekerbura, pakhlava should be on the table. People decorate festive khoncha, visit neighbors and treat those who have no opportunity to celebrate the holiday. It is a tradition to treat the poor, that is why Nowruz is thought to be a holiday of kindness, humanism and equality.

Notwithstanding the weather conditions, on the last chershenbe everybody goes to the fields and cultivates the earth. The main goal is to wake up the earth and mark the beginning of the sowing campaign. People jump over fires on the last Tuesday as well. Girls dance in a circle around the fire and wish their friends to have such a warm fire at home. Single girls throw a left shoe into a door, standing with their backs to the door. If the shoe is directed toward the door, the girl will get married this year. The dead are commemorated this day.

Before night falls, people tell fortunes on yilakhyr chershenbesi. Girls and guys come close to neighbors’ doors and listen to their conversations. They make conclusions about fulfilling their dreams, according to what they have heard.

Young people dance, sing, and enjoy themselves from morning. Girls throw two threaded needles in water; if the needles don’t sink, the girls make wishes. If the needles come close to each other, the dream will come true. On yilakhyr chershenbesi, guys in love hang out scarves on chimneys to show their feelings. If the hosts of the house take off the scarf and hang it on the girl’s hand, it means the parents of the girl agree to the marriage. If they don’t agree, they return the scarf full of sweets.

Nowruz is one of the main and most popular holidays. It is celebrated joyfully and brightly. Every family tries to serve a rich table with various cuisines. Pilaff is cooked for supper. Candles are lit. The table is decorated with sweets. Nowruz is marked as a national holiday on March 21st in Russian regions as well – Dagestan, Tatarstan and Bashkiria.