When is Navruz Bayram in the year? Navruz - New Year according to the natural calendar

Navruz Bayram is an ancient holiday celebrated by residents of many Asian countries and several regions of Russia. The date of its holding is the twenty-first of March. This is the day of the spring equinox. In addition, according to the astronomical solar calendar, which is officially used in Afghanistan and Iran, Nowruz Bayram is the first day of the new year.

The holiday is celebrated in the spring. It symbolizes the renewal of man and nature. Nowruz is translated from Farsi as “new day”.

History of origin

Navruz Bayram is one of the oldest holidays that existed in the history of mankind. In Persia (modern Iran), as well as in Central Asia, it began to be celebrated a very long time ago, even before the seventh century BC. Due to the deep historical roots of the holiday, its exact origin is unknown.

The traditions of Navruz are associated with the name of the founder of the prophet Zarathustra, as well as with the cult of fire and the Sun. The most ancient source where this holiday is mentioned is the sacred scripture of Zoroastrianism, the Avesta. It is in it that it is necessary to celebrate the emergence of life in spring.

The Navruz Bayram holiday is also associated with the reign of Shah Jamshid. The poets sang of this legendary ruler in the poem “Shahnameh”. It is also believed that it was on this day that the hero Siyavush, killed by the Turanian Afrasiyab, was buried.

Turkic legends also talk about the holiday. They mention this day as the date of the appearance of the Turkic people from the mythical place of Altai - Ergenekon.

Where is Nowruz celebrated?

This day is celebrated most vividly and widely by the peoples of Afghanistan and Iran. According to the official calendars of these countries, with its arrival a new year begins.

At the same time, Navruz is a spring holiday. It is the length of the day that becomes equal to the night, and then gradually overtakes it. Spring is finally coming into its own. This holiday marks the beginning of the field harvest, which is the care and hope of farmers. That is why Navruz Bayram is a celebration of not only the beginning of the new year, but also agricultural work.

This day is celebrated in Tajikistan and Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, Turkey and India, Macedonia and Albania, Kyrgyzstan and in certain regions of the Russian Federation (Bashkiria and the North Caucasus, Tatarstan and Crimea). In Arab countries, the vernal equinox is not celebrated.

Deadlines

Spring rites are celebrated according to the solar calendar, which is called the ancient Iranian (shamsi). In it, the first days of each month coincide with the new moons. Moreover, every year these dates shift by ten to eleven days. The holiday begins when the solar disk enters. Previously, this moment was determined by astrologers - munadgijims - people of a very revered profession in the East. Currently, this event is calculated by astronomers and indicated on the calendar with an accuracy of the minute. In addition, this moment is announced on television and radio.

In Afghanistan and Iran, Nowruz Bayram is an official holiday. In this case, the first five days of the new year, as well as the thirteenth, are non-working days. In other countries, Nowruz is a national festival. However, in essence, it is the same everywhere. This is a day of solemn and joyful welcoming of spring.

Rituals

Celebration traditions vary only slightly from one country to another, as well as from region to region. Residents of different countries pronounce its name slightly differently. So, in Iran it is Noruz, in Afghanistan - Nowruz, in Iran and Turkey - Nevruz.

This holiday has a significant difference from our New Year. It is celebrated not at night, but in the light of day. However, like us, this is a family event. When the solemn moment arrives, everyone should be at home at the festive table. The whole family certainly gets together to celebrate Navruz. Traditions provide for the presence on the festive table, in addition to foods, of seven items. Moreover, their names must begin with the letter “s”. Their list includes rue (sepand), greens (saben), garlic (sir), apples (sib), vinegar (serke), thyme (satar), wild olives (sinjid). In the middle of the table there is always a large loaf called a sangak; there is also a vessel with water in which a green leaf floats, as well as plates on which colored eggs lie.

All dishes must certainly emphasize the agricultural focus of the spring holiday. For example, an egg, greens and bread symbolize fertility.

The celebration of Nowruz in rural areas begins with the laying of a furrow. At the same time, the most respected resident is behind the plow. He throws some grain into the first furrow. Only after this can all field work begin - harrowing, plowing, sowing, etc.

Celebration of the thirteenth day

Tajiks, Persians and Hazaras (the people of Afghanistan) call this day “Sizdeh Bedar”. Translated, it means “Thirteen at the Gate.” On this day, citizens visit gardens and parks and travel outside the city in cheerful groups. The peasants go out into the groves and meadows. Sweets are brought to these picnics to ensure a happy year.

Basic traditions of Nowruz

Before the start of the New Year, it is customary to do a thorough cleaning of the house, as well as update the wardrobe of all family members. Those who celebrate the holiday of Navruz Bayram must repay all debts, forgive grievances and make peace with ill-wishers before the spring equinox.

According to existing tradition, a fire festival is held before the New Year. It happens in a rather unusual way. On the last Tuesday of the year, bonfires are lit in the streets. This happens after. According to tradition, everyone jumps through the fire - children and adults.

During the celebration, there should be vases with flowers and candles, mirrors and fruits on the table, as well as a variety of dishes, such as pilaf. According to the traditions of the Afghan people, a special compote called haftmeva is prepared for Nowruz. It contains almonds and pistachios, light and dark raisins, walnuts and senjed. Kazakhs put a special dish on the festive table - nauryz kozhe. It also contains seven components: water and flour, meat and butter, milk and cereals, and salt. There are several recipes for preparing this dish. In this regard, each housewife prepares it differently.

According to the existing tradition, during the New Year celebrations the dead are commemorated, and in the first days of Nowruz they visit friends and parents.

Navruz holiday celebrated in the East 21 March- V day of spring equinox, when Nature naturally wakes up, when day is equal to night and with each subsequent rotation it wins a few minutes in favor of light, when a new round of renewal begins and the New Solar Year begins. Nature does not need to specially invent anything; all its “holidays” are located at special points of the Annual Circle - points of Power, when the Sun, Moon and all of Nature have special qualities. On the day of the vernal equinox, a new Sun is born and the Earth wakes up (no wonder Earth Day celebrated on March 21).

It is logical that in many cultures of the world to celebrate Sun Festival, warmth, light and renewal was adopted precisely on the day of the vernal equinox according to astronomical solar calendar. For example, 21 March in Ancient pagan Rus' it was customary to welcome the New Sun (read New Life, New Year) its smaller copy: a yellow, round and hot pancake! Now Maslenitsa holiday remained, but under the influence of Christianity it shifted in time and turned into a “farewell to winter,” although previously it was a full-fledged New Year holiday.

But the Iranian and Turkic peoples, despite the dominance of Islam, managed to defend their pre-Islamic spring and new year holiday - Nowruz(from Pers. “new day”). Origins Navruz holiday have their roots in the pre-literate era of human history, when farmers just began to develop sun worship. Official religious status holiday of Zoroastrianism Nowruz acquired from the Achaemenid Empire around 648-330. BC e.

Currently Nowruz widely celebrated as the beginning New Year in Iran and Afghanistan, as a public holiday - in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Albania, Iraqi Kurdistan, India, Macedonia, Turkey; and also in the south of Russia: in Tatarstan, Bashkortostan.
Traditions of celebrating Navruz have remained virtually unchanged throughout its centuries-old history. They carefully prepare for the holiday in advance: they do a general cleaning of houses, courtyards and streets, be sure to wash all existing clothes, and pay off debts. On the eve of the holiday, before sunrise, it is necessary to complete all preparatory work: preparation holiday dishes, cleaning the home and decorating rooms with flowering tree branches.

The most important day of the holiday is the first, March 21. On this day it is customary to cover festive table and treat all your friends, neighbors and everyone you meet with “New Year’s” dishes, the main ones of which are Khalisa And sumalak(they are prepared only once a year - for Navruz). Khalisa It is prepared from seven types of cereals with the addition of meat, and everything is boiled until smooth. A sumalak prepared from sprouted wheat grains with the addition of flour and sugar. They begin to prepare these complex dishes on the eve of the holiday. All the women of a large family, community (in modern conditions of high-rise buildings - neighbors) gather around large cauldrons and take turns stirring the dish all night so that it does not burn over a wood fire. Often a handful of small stones are placed at the bottom of the cauldron, not as a seasoning, of course, but so that when stirring the thick mixture is better ground and does not burn. ritual dish. It is believed that if someone accidentally gets a “lucky” pebble, then they will definitely have good luck in the New Year. So that the long and laborious process around the fire does not turn into a tedious task, it is accompanied by music, songs and dances, thereby starting a cheerful meeting of the New Day. And in the morning, each woman will take home her share of the common pot.

Traditional ritual in Nowruz is compilation Haft Sina. There should be seven (haft) foods on the table, the names of which begin with the letter “sin” of the Persian alphabet: rue seeds - sipand, apple - seb, black seeds - siahdane, wild olive - sanjid, vinegar - sirke, garlic - sir and sprouted grains - sabzi.

To Navruz festive table Must be decorated with dishes that symbolize rebirth and new life: sprouted wheat grains, boiled eggs, a glass of water with live fish. In addition, pilaf, shurpa, boiled lamb and kok-samsa(pies stuffed with young herbs). And in general, the more variety of dishes and sweets there will be festive dastarkhan, the more prosperous and fruitful the coming year will be.

Over the next thirteen holidays, it is customary to visit each other, visit elderly neighbors and relatives, and have fun folk festivals, holiday markets And sports, as well as planting young tree seedlings and starting field work. The first furrow of the New Year, following ancient rite, conducted by the oldest and most respected member of the community. Be sure to receive the blessings of elders, parents, and mentors these days. It is believed that how a person spends the days of Navruz celebrations, so he will spend the whole next year. In addition, people remember one more ancient legend: during the days of Nowruz, angels descend to earth, bringing goodness and prosperity to people, but they only enter the house where peace and harmony reign. This is why people try to forgive each other’s debts and forget about enmity and grievances. As folk legend says, it is very important who will be the first guest in the house: on the first day of the New Year, everyone is certainly waiting for a kind and honest person who brings good news and good luck.

And it’s not entirely clear: Nowruz Whether this is how it works, or the Sun is finally coming into its own, but these days people are really becoming kinder and brighter, every soul is eager to reach its true roots, to nature, rejoices at every green blade of grass and crawling bug, in a word - it loves with all its soul both your own life and the New one that is blooming around you.
Is not it magic?..

The essence of the holiday is a solemn welcome of spring. About two weeks in advance, wheat or lentils are sown on the dishes. By the holiday, their green sprouts should reach 5-7 centimeters and become a table decoration, a symbol of the birth of a new life, the New Year. Closer to the holiday, the grain is sprouted again to become the basis for the holiday dish.

The onset of the New Year is preceded by symbolic rites of purification. On “Wednesday of Joy” (the last Wednesday before Nowruz), bonfires are lit on the streets of cities and villages, and people must jump over one bonfire seven times or over seven bonfires once. On the last night of the old year, it is customary to splash each other with water and jump over running water to cleanse oneself of last year's sins.

There is a belief that with the advent of Nowruz, good angels (fereshta) descend to earth. They give people abundance and prosperity, joy and hope. But angels, according to legend, went around houses in which enmity was hidden and where they forgot to tidy up for the New Year. Hence two very important rituals of Nowruz: thorough cleaning on the eve of the holiday and the need to forget hostility and quarrels. Also, on the eve of the holiday, you need to receive the blessing of parents and elders, distribute or forgive debts.

According to popular belief, on the night before the first day of the holiday, all household members had to be at home, otherwise they would have to wander in a foreign land for seven years; It was not supposed to go to visit and receive guests. The whole family, having put on new holiday clothes, gathers at the traditional table, on which they place new dishes, a mirror and light candles according to the number of family members. These candles cannot be extinguished until they burn out completely. Everything that is put on the festive table in one way or another is associated with the symbolism of spring revival, fertility, prosperity, fun and joy. In addition to numerous dishes, it necessarily contains seven items, the names of which in Persian begin with the letter "sin" ("s"): rue seeds - sipand, apple - seb, black seeds - siakhdane, wild olive - sanjid, vinegar - sirke, garlic - seer and sprouted grain - sabzi. Another set of seven items is possible, for example, in Iran it includes a sekke - a coin; serke - vinegar; sir - garlic; sumac - spice; samanu (among other peoples sumalak) - a dish for the preparation of which grains of sprouted wheat are used; sanjed - oleaster berry; sabze - greens, flax and cereal seeds sprouted in water, symbolizing the revitalization of nature. In Afghanistan, this set includes mushrooms (somarek).

Be sure to serve on the table a large festive bread or cakes, a bowl of water on which a green leaf should float, a bowl of rose water, fruits, nuts, almonds, fish, rooster, milk, curdled milk, cheese, colored eggs.

In Iran, the festive table must include a vessel with water in which a live fish swims, symbolizing a happy life, full of activity and movement.

On the holiday, traditional pilaf is served, but the main dishes of the New Year's table everywhere remain special dishes: guja (for some peoples halim or khalisa) and sumalak (sumalak, samanu), which are prepared only once a year, exclusively for the New Year's table. Guja is made from seven types of grains with the addition of meat, which are boiled until smooth. Halim (khalisa) is a porridge made from wheat and meat, in some peoples with the addition of peas and vegetables. Sumalak is halva, which is prepared from sprouted wheat with small additions of flour and sugar. Only women prepare sumalak, and guji or halima (khalis) are prepared by men. To prepare sumalak, all the women of the village (in cities - housemates) gather in the evening and prepare food in one common cauldron, stirring the cauldron in strict order. The prepared dishes are divided among the housewives, and each takes her portion home to her family.

As a rule, they try to serve as many different dishes and sweets as possible on the festive table. Everyone should be well-fed and happy: then the year will be prosperous and fruitful.

In Navruz, it is not customary to lend money, so as not to deprive the house of wealth. At the same time, there was an unwritten custom on the days of the spring holiday to give people Navruz-payi - a holiday share. A tray of holiday treats is sent to neighbors and friends and is not supposed to be returned empty.

The festive ritual is not limited to the feast. On this day, children go from house to house and sing songs about Navruz, and they are given sweets. Artists perform on the streets, wits compete, songs and jokes are heard. Relatives exchange visits and give gifts.

In rural areas, after the celebration of the first day of Nowruz, field work usually begins. The first furrow is made by the most respected and oldest member of the village community. I relied on Navruz to feed domestic animals in the best way; planting any trees, especially chestnut, fig and mulberry, was a good deed. It is customary to visit the sick and lonely.

In ancient times, Navruz was celebrated for 13 days. This tradition has been preserved in Iran, where out of 13 days, the first five are dedicated to celebrating Nowruz and visiting family and friends. The ninth day is known as Shahryaran Nowruz (Shah's Nowruz), and the thirteenth day as Sizda-bedar ("The Thirteenth Outside the House").

On the thirteenth day of the new year, people leave their homes and go out of town, or gather in parks and gardens, where the holiday continues. They spend this day outside the house so as not to bring trouble into the house. This belief has remained since ancient times and is associated with the number thirteen.

During these unique picnics, people eat sweets and sherbet to make the year sweet and happy.

Along with traditional rituals, such ritual and festive events of Navruz as festivals, competitions, mass processions, sports games, etc. have now gained recognition.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

How do we celebrate Nauryz in 2016? This holiday is celebrated on March 21 - the day of the spring equinox. Its date has remained unchanged for several millennia. It is known that it was celebrated in the countries of Central Asia even before the 7th century BC. e.

Now it is considered a public holiday in Azerbaijan, Albania, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey and other countries. In Iran, it is celebrated for 13 days.

For Kazakhs, this holiday is a symbol of spring renewal, fertility and the triumph of love.

Since 1926, Nauryz has been banned. However, later the traditions were resumed, and in 1991, by the Decree of the President of the Kazakh SSR, this day was again recognized as a holiday.

Since 2001, Nauryz has become a public holiday in Kazakhstan, and since 2009 it has been celebrated for three days, with the celebration starting on March 21.

Nauryz holiday - how are we relaxing in 2016?

Typically, the celebration of Nauryz among the Kazakhs lasts from five days to a week. This year Nauryz falls on Monday, which means that after the weekend we will rest for three more days in a row - until March 23 (Wednesday).

How is it customary to celebrate Nauryz? Among the Iranian and Turkic peoples, this is a New Year's holiday according to the astronomical solar calendar. Translated from Persian, “Nauryz” means “new day.”

In Kazakhstan it is also called “Ulys kyni” (“First Day of the New Year”) and “Ulystyn uly kuni” (“Great Day of the People”).

It is believed that the richer and more generously the table is set on this day, the more prosperous the next year will be.

Housewives prepare Nauryz-kozhe stew for this holiday, which should include seven ingredients, symbolizing the seven elements: water, meat, salt, fat, flour, cereals (this can be rice, corn or wheat) and milk.

These ingredients are respectively symbols of joy, luck, wisdom, health, prosperity, speed, growth and protection of higher powers.

These days people go to visit each other, street celebrations are held in cities and villages. Young people sing songs, dance and play national games.

Verbal competitions of akyns are held, accompanied by dombra (aitys), and competitions in national sports are organized - Kazakh kures, Toguz kumalak, horse racing (Kyz-Kuu and baiga).