Forever Young Ancient Holiday Novruz: The Way It is Welcomed Today
So you can call Novruz – one of the most ancient holidays of mankind, eternal as life itself, starting a new cycle of its circuit from the spring equinox. The optimistic spirit of the holiday meets a human’s dream of immortality, the need for the triumph of good over evil, the warmth of spring over the cold of winter.
Taking into account the powerful humanistic and ethical-philosophical essence of Novruz, which plays a consolidating role in the modern world, UNESCO included it in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and the UN General Assembly gave it an international status. The resolution adopted on this occasion recognizes March 21 as the International Day of Nowruz and welcomes the efforts of the member states that celebrate this holiday to preserve and develop the culture and traditions associated with it.
In 2013, Turkmenistan hosted a large-scale celebration of this international day and delegations of countries where there is a tradition to celebrate the spring New Year, as well as honorary guests represented by heads and high-ranking representatives of states and international organizations.
Over the centuries-old history of the celebration of Novruz, each nation has developed its own customs, rituals, and paraphernalia, but the common tradition is to clean the house, clothes, and utensils before the holiday. A person is obliged to purify himself not only physically, but also spiritually. You can enter Novruz only with a good and pure soul.
In Turkmenistan, this spring holiday is celebrated with large-scale environmental and cultural events. This year, on the eve of the National Spring Holiday – the International Day of Novruz, a nationwide tree planting campaign will be held throughout the country.
The festive marathon started on March 13, it was opened by a creative meeting with famous poets of the country in the Ylkham Park in Ashgabat. Thematic exhibitions in museums and libraries, musical performances, and scientific conferences pick up the slack.
It is planned to hold events in the capital and regions that will reflect the customs and traditions of the Turkmen people, including those included in the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, modern achievements of the country in the development of culture and art. On one of the days of the festive week, the center of events will be the Ashgabat Botanical Garden.
The main festive events will be held during three days on the bank of the Karakum River in Ashgabat. The regions also organize colorful outdoor celebrations – in meadows and river valleys, near lakes and in parks.
In neighboring countries, the celebration of this holiday has its own characteristics. For example, Kazakhstan has challenging experience, where they developed a new concept for celebrating a significant spring holiday, which enriches its content and contributes to the preservation of harmony and unity of the people, strengthening family values, developing the volunteer movement and the culture of charity.
As in Turkmenistan, the main purpose of the holiday, which is called Nauryz Meiramy in Kazakhstan, is to strengthen peace and friendship, preserve national identity, promote family values, and form a careful attitude to the environment. According to the initiated project, Nauryz is proposed to be celebrated from March 14 to 23 inclusive and each of these days is dedicated to a specific topic.
For example, the first of the six preparatory days is destined to meet with kinfolks, relatives, and to pay tribute to the older generation. On the second day, the planned events are aimed at protecting the planet’s natural resources. Kazakhstanis will plant trees, clear springs, and clean farmsteads and parks.
One of the days will be devoted to good deeds. The government calls for joining the volunteers and rendering all possible assistance to those in need. Also, until March 23, there will be held craft fairs, national sports games, competitions for knowledge of the epic, folk traditions, sayings, proverbs, wise expressions, quotes of national writers and poets.
