Novruz

Today marks every Azerbaijani’s favorite day of the year: Novruz.

Novruz takes place on March 20-21^st but the entire month prior to today people are preparing and anticipating the holiday.

Novruz  means “new day” and is the start of the New Year in the Iranian calendar, welcoming spring, new life and a fresh start.  It’s technically an Iranian holiday but celebrated by many Islamic cultures.  Throughout the past month Azerbaijani’s have been cleaning out and painting their houses, planting trees in their yards, cooking special dishes and visiting friends and relatives.

During the Soviet Union Novruz was prohibited and people were persecuted for following the traditions.  Now all Azerbaijani’s proudly celebrate and look forward to this time of the year.

The four Tuesdays prior to the holiday each have a name: Water (to purify), Fire, Wind, and Earth (new life). On each of these evenings at dusk families make small bonfires in their yard and everyone takes a turn jumping over the fire seven times reciting “Give me your redness and take my yellowness” which means “Take my hardships, give me your lightness.” As they jump, people leave their troubles behind.  The number seven is relevant throughout Novruz because Muslims believe Allah (God) is connected with the seventh layer of the sky.

Perhaps the symbol most associated with Novruz is the sprouted wheat called “samani’.  These grass seeds are grown on a plate prior to Novruz and can by close to half a foot tall on the holiday.  Each family usually places the samani on the center of their table with a red ribbon tied around it.

Pakhlava and shekerbura are the two most essential Novruz desserts every house should have.  Since most all cooking takes a very long time, both desserts are made sometimes two weeks in advance, as I witnessed in my host family last year.  Pakhlava (like Turkish baklava) takes an especially long time and team-work.  Female relatives and neighbors get together to contribute to the baking and lighten the load.  Both are made with dough that is rolled out and filled with ground nuts and sugar; sherkerbura is like a cookie with the filing inside while pakhlava is layer upon layer of thinly rolled dough with sugar, butter and nuts in between.

Children really enjoy this holiday because of traditions such as “hat throwing.”  In the evenings, they sneak up to neighbors’ doors, knock quickly, throw a hat and run away to hide.  Those who answer the door usually put in candy, nuts or treats for the thrower.

Many boys also play a game with eggs. One holds an egg while another boy holds and another egg beneath, then the one on the top lightly taps his egg to see which egg with produce a crack. Whosever doesn’t cracks, wins.  Similar to Easter, many families will also color or decorate their eggs for the table display.

As spring is also my favorite season in AZ I’m certainly looking forward to the sunnier weather, new life of fruit trees and baby animals roaming around town.   

Happy Spring!