The first day of spring is one of the most important celebrations across the globe. On the first day of spring, we celebrate the Vernal Equinox, which marks the beginning of a season that brings in new life, new hope and new opportunities. In Uzbekistan, people celebrate this occasion with a lot of joy – especially in Navruz, Astana’s most splendid celebration.
Navruxe is an annual festival that is celebrated for over 400 years in various parts of Central Asia. Navruze literally means ‘new day’ in Tatar and Kazakh languages. In western Turkic languages like Azerbaijani, it has been called as Newroz (New Spring), Newyek (New Day) or Nav-Uçuçe (New Beginning).
It is believed that Navruz is a direct descendant of ancient equinox festivals held across Asia to mark rebirth and welcome the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Nowadays, it has become one of Central Asia’s most popular celebrations where ancient traditions are combined with modern trends to create a special festive ambience.
In Turkic regions like Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, Navruz coincides with their national holidays – Independence Day on March 19th and Republic Day on September 30th respectively.
What is Navruz?
Navruz is an annual festival that is celebrated for over 400 years in various parts of Central Asia. Navruze literally means ‘new day’ in Tatar and Kazakh languages. In western Turkic languages like Azerbaijani, it has been called as Newroz (New Spring), Newyek (New Day) or Nav-Uçuçe (New Beginning).
It is believed that Navruz is a direct descendant of ancient equinox festivals held across Asia to mark rebirth and welcome the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Nowadays, it has become one of Central Asia’s most popular celebrations where ancient traditions are combined with modern trends to create a special festive ambience.
In Turkic regions like Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, Navruz coincides with their national holidays – Independence Day on March 19th and Republic Day on September 30th respectively.
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History of Navruz
Navruz is a celebration of the first day of spring in Central Asia. The most important celebration takes place on March 21st, the Vernal Equinox or the day when the sun crosses the celestial equator heading southward (the date also coincides with International Women’s Day). On this day, people eat and drink to their heart’s content in order to welcome new life and new hope.
The ancient Turkic tribes celebrated Navruz with animal sacrifices because they believed that they were initiating a new life. There was a custom where every man who had reached menopause would throw a live ewe over his shoulder and run around as fast as possible for three nights, symbolizing renewal and rebirth.
Navruze has been celebrated in Central Asia for over 400 years but its origins are still unknown.
Celebrations of Navruz in Astana
Navruz celebrations in Astana are marked with the arrival of a host of colorful balloons and the waving of national flags. The day-long event is filled with folk concerts, folk dances and sporting activities for children. People celebrate the arrival of spring in their own unique way – by dressing up in traditional clothes, riding horses through Navruz Park and dancing together on this special day.
Navruz also marks the beginning of Astana’s tourism season which usually starts from March 18th till April 20th. The capital city’s hotels are fully booked, so hotels near Navruz park have to accommodate more people as well.
How to celebrate Navruz in Astana?
On the first day of Navruz, people in Astana traditionally go to their favorite places for a grand-scale celebration. This is mostly held in the form of fairs and parades. The city center is filled with decorations, music and dance performances, local food vendors and wonderful aromas. In addition to that, many people visit the more than 100 symbolic monuments across the city which are decorated with flowers during this time.
The biggest celebration of all occurs at Navruz Park where over 100 thousand people gather in one place to celebrate with joy. They play games, watch performances by dancers and musicians and enjoy traditional food prepared by local chefs as well as international delicacies such as shashlik (meat on a stick) and kebabs cooked on some grills provided in the park.
If you want to celebrate this day or just curious about what it’s like living in Astana, the best thing you can do is come down to Navruz Park for yourself – because this event isn’t just about seeing — it’s about experiencing!
Major events celebrated on Navruz in other cities of Central Asia
Navruz celebrates various events in the history of Central Asia. In Turkmenistan, Navruz celebrates a legend that tells the story of Alisher Navruz, who sacrificed his life to save King Ashina Manuchehr. On Navruz Day, festivities also coincide with the anniversary of the birth of Halil Pasha, one of the last emperors of the Ottoman Empire.
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’s capital city, celebrates their New Year on January 14th – a tradition that has been passed down from ancient times.
In Tashkent and Samarkand, Uzbekistan’s two largest cities, Navruz is celebrated as well with a lot of joy and festivity. On October 18th in Tashkent, people celebrate Gurban Bayram (a holiday to remember people who have passed away) and on October 16th in Samarkand they celebrate Muharram (a holy month for Muslims).
Besides these major events celebrated on Navruz each year in other cities across Central Asia, there are a lot more things happening all around Uzbekistan on this day including sporting events such as horse races and wrestling matches.
Folklore associated with Navruz
During Navruz, people dress in their best clothes, decorate the home with flowers and make new decorations. During this festive time, people traditionally give presents to one another as a sign of prosperity and happiness. Gifts such as bread, sweets, fruits and nuts are given to friends and family members. A large bonfire is lit where people gather around it to cook food on both hearths.
Navruz is also an occasion for singing songs of joy and happiness. Many celebratory songs celebrate the arrival of spring by bringing hope for a better future.
In Central Asia, Navruz is celebrated by dancing around the fire or jumping over it three times. One special dance is called ‘Kubat’ or ‘Kubat-Dorogu’ which is performed by the youth who run between the fires three times before jumping over them lightly – in which they represent springtime grass growing between the hot flames.
This festival was declared as a public holiday in Uzbekistan in 1994 with celebrations lasting from March 19th to April 2nd each year.
Conclusion
Navruz is a celebration of the springtime in Central Asia. The celebration is marked by the traditional Kazakh New Year and is also known as the Vernal Equinox.
It’s a time of joy, love, happiness, and prosperity. There are many different traditions that are celebrated on Navruz that come from Central Asia’s diverse cultural background.
