my favorite holiday navruz essay

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MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY IS NAVRUZ

IELTS speaking MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY IS NAVRUZ

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Photo credit: Abdu Samadov

Celebrating Navruz in Uzbekistan: My Favorite Moments on a Festive Journey

Born and raised in Samarkand,  Abdu Samadov  is full of inside information about  Uzbekistan . He has studied in England and the U.S. and is fluent in English, Farsi, and Russian. Abdu guides MIR travelers throughout  Central Asia  and enjoys sharing his knowledge. Here, Abdu recounts some of the highlights from his travels with MIR’s small group tour  Backstreets & Bazaars of Uzbekistan .

One of my favorite trips to lead as a MIR tour manager is MIR’s small group tour  Backstreets & Bazaars of Uzbekistan . The tour is a unique journey to the heart of the Silk Road – Uzbekistan – to explore the bazaars, culture, and cuisine during the spring festival of Navruz.

I usually recommend visiting Uzbekistan in September, as the bazaars are vibrant with produce at that time. A variety of fresh fruits like figs, grapes, melons, watermelons, and heaps of fresh vegetables conquer the bazaar stalls and streets as the harvest season reaches its zenith. However,  visiting Uzbekistan in spring, during the national holiday of Navruz, makes the experience very special.

Here are some of my favorite moments from the trip.

1. Celebrating Navruz in Bukhara

People of Central Asia celebrate Navruz on the first day of spring, March 21, the spring equinox. In the book of the great 11th century scholar and thinker of Central Asia, Abu Rayhan Al-Beruni, he writes about Navruz, considered the central holiday of Zoroastrians as the day when the sun reaches the sign of Aries and awakens nature. Navruz is a time when age-old rituals and traditions come alive in the cities of Uzbekistan.

Bukhara is where we really experience the festival in all its finery.  We started the day with a walk from the historic craftsmen neighborhood in the Old Town towards the Ark Citadel. The largest public square of the city was already crowded with locals dressed up for the occasion. Villages, universities, and school and community members had laid tables of food for the public around the plaza. Artists and performers entertained the visitors. We came across some schoolchildren, who invited us to participate in their impromptu dance and singing session. Their happiness was contagious, and we were surrounded quickly by a large crowd of friendly local people.

On the day of Navruz, we have festivals and celebrations all around the country. Navruz was restored as a national holiday for Uzbekistan in 1990. During the communist years, this celebration was banned, as it was considered too reminiscent of old history and traditions. Today all the countries in Central Asia mark this day as a national holiday representing the renewal of nature, youthful celebrations, and colorful customs.

2. Preparing  Sumalak  in Khiva

As the Navruz celebration nears in Central Asian homes, mothers arrange feasts. Festival tables will have fresh breads,  plov  (the savory rice concoction that is Central Asia’s favorite dish),  samsas  (baked stuffed bread pockets),  bijak  (pastry-based pockets with fresh greens), and sweets.

There is a special dish –  sumalak  – that communities prepare together for the holiday.  It is a much esteemed meal, prepared by groups of women while performing special rituals. The sumptuous sweet dish is prepared from the juice of wheat sprouts and flour.

During the process of cooking it for 12 hours overnight, people make wishes as they stir the  sumalak  in turns. To stay awake, men and women dance and play music all night. The meal is served in the morning to everyone in the neighborhood.

The local people of Khiva invited us to a  sumalak  party in a local  madrassah . Our MIR travelers took turns stirring the boiling  sumalak  in the cauldron and made their wishes. Then, we had a great time dancing with the local Khivans and chatting with our hosts.

3. Attending a  Buzkashi  Game in Samarkand

One of the most exciting Navruz festival games of Central Asia is  buzkashi .  It has other names, such as  uloktortish  or  kok boru , and is played across the region and in Afghanistan on special occasions like holidays and weddings.

Navruz is the best time for a group of strong men on horses to indulge in this sport. They fight for the possession of a dead goat using the drills of polo, horse riding, rugby, and wrestling. History suggests the purpose of this competition was initially to train boys into agile, strong, masculine warriors. The horses were observed, and the strongest were then selected for further breeding.

(click image to view larger photo)

A specially-bred goat is slaughtered a day before the competition, and the carcass is treated with salt and sand so the final weight will be just about 70lbs. (Sometimes a molded 70-lb model is substituted for the goat carcass.) The goal of the competition is for the participants to lift the carcass from the ground and find a way out of the pack to the designated goal post. Sometimes over 600 horseback riders can compete for this single prize, and the combination of a robust horse and resilient and agile rider can spell victory.

Our group witnessed the real deal in the foothills of the Hissar Mountain range.  The location of the horse game was specially chosen in celebration of Navruz, as this was the place where Alexander the Great faced a fierce uprising from the strong young men of Samarkand under the leadership of  Spitamenes , the 4th century Sogdian warlord. The distant descendants of the general gave our group the feeling of how strong and fearsome the riders are, and how agile the horses are in the region.

4. Cooking, Eating, and Celebrating All Over the Country

During our travels in Uzbekistan, we were completely surrounded by food. As a group with gigantic gastronomic interest, we took every opportunity to indulge in it.

We baked world-famous  galaosiyo non  bread at a Samarkand home, cooked  plov  in the home of another Samarkand family, made green dill pasta  (shivit ashi)  in a  madrassah  restaurant in Khiva, and prepared hand-pulled noodles,  lagman , with a master chef in Tashkent.

On this tasty tour, we definitely succeeded in plumbing the depths of the brilliant bazaars, the celebratory culture, and the abundant and delicious cuisine on offer during the joyous spring festival of Navruz.

Travel to Uzbekistan with MIR

MIR has more than 30 years of travel experience in  Central Asia  and has an affiliate office in  Uzbekistan , with a roster of contacts that can take you to places that you didn’t even know you wanted to go. Our full service, dedication, commitment to quality, and destination expertise have twice earned us a place on  National Geographic Adventure’s list of  “Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth.”

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Girls at a navruz celebration in Uzbekistan offer guests to the festival tea, bread, and other refreshments.

Navruz, Nooruz, Nowruz: The Ancient Spring New Year of Central Asia

Published: May 1, 2024

Navruz is a spring solstice celebration that marks the beginning of the New Year according to the traditional Persian calendar. It has been a beloved holiday for some 3,000 years, surviving cultural change caused by centuries of tumultuous history. It was once celebrated on the vernal equinox but is now celebrated on the set date of March 21st.

Navruz is a profound cultural and historical celebration marking the symbiotic relationship between humanity and the natural world, deeply embedded in the rhythms of the earth.

The holiday has long been celebrated over a wide geographic area including primarily the mostly-Muslim countries of Western Asia, Central Asia, the Caspian Sea region, and the Balkans. Navruz is an official holiday in Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iraqi Kurdistan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia’s Bayan-Ölgii province, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. In Russia and the United States, Navruz celebrations are growing in popularity in large part because of the Iranian and Tajik diasporas there.

Traditions surrounding this holiday vary across the diverse cultures that celebrate it. This article will focus on the history and celebration of Navruz in Central Asia. It will also look most specifically at the traditions of Tajikistan, a Persian-speaking country, and Uzbekistan, a Turkic-speaking country.

The Long, Long History of Navruz

Navruz originated from Zoroastrianism, an ancient monotheistic religion that predates Christianity. Zoroaster, the religion’s creator, was likely born around 628 BCE and was Persian. He was highly concerned with questions of death and rebirth and how good (equated with light and knowledge) can conquer evil (equated with ignorance and darkness). Many of the stories and much of the philosophy of Zoroastrianism’s holy book, The Avesta , have parallels in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, which all originated in the same geographic region as Zoroastrainism.

Because it is so old, the beginnings of Navruz are shrouded in folklore and mystery. The Avesta mentions Navruz as one of Zoroastrianism’s seven important celebrations. That book however, was only assembled in 1323 CE, although the texts it brought together are likely much older. The Persian national epic, The Shahnameh , states that King Jamshid started Navruz to save humanity from a long winter that threatened to kill every living thing. However, King Jamshid, most historians agree, is likely an entirely fictional character of Persian mythology.

We do know that in the Achaemenid Empire, around the fifth century BCE, that Navruz was celebrated and was likely the most important holiday of the year. We know as well that it had a similar status under the Sassanids from about the 3rd to 7th centuries CE. We also know that as Zoroastrianism spread across Iran and Central Asia, it brought Navruz along with it. We know that it persisted after the arrival of Arab invaders and Islam to the area well after the 7th century CE and that, when the Russian Empire conquered Central Asia in the 1800s, Navruz celebrations also continued.

Navruz has survived revolutions and oppressive governments that have attempted to ban or coopt the holiday in recent times. Soviet Russia, post-revolution Iran, and the Taliban government of Afghanistan, for instance, all attempted to ban the holiday at some point, feeling that the ancient Zoorastrian-rooted tradition didn’t correspond with their own ideologies. However, Navruz traditions were and are still celebrated in all these affected areas.

With the fall of the USSR, Navruz celebrations have experienced a revival across Central Asia and much of the Caucuses as the peoples of each country have looked back to their pre-soviet traditions as a basis on which to build new, distinct national and ethnic identities. For many, Navruz is a powerful part of that identity.

Today, among the cultures that celebrate it, Navruz is generally seen as a new start with a clean slate. People make amends, clean their houses, and buy or make new clothes to start the New Year. It is believed that for the New Year, everything should be as if new again.

Navruz Sports

In many cultures that celebrate Navruz, wrestling and equestrian sports are particularly popular. As Navruz celebrates life and strength, it makes sense that sports are a big part of the festival.

Most of the cultures have a specific type of wrestling that they consider a source of national pride. For instance, the Tajiks wrestle in a style called “gushtigiri” and will tell of its connections to their ancestors, Sogdians and Bactrians. The Uzbek style is called “kurash” and has links to the national hero Tamerlane, who used the sport to train his troops.

Equestrian sports are dominated in Central Asia by a game in which one must carry a whole goat carcass while on horseback and deposit it into a goal. In Tajikistan, where the sport is known as “buzkashi,” and Uzbekistan, where it is known as “kupkari,” it is particularly chaotic, often with dozens of players all playing against each other and with almost no rules except one against knocking another player off his horse – which could result in death in such conditions. The sport takes considerable strength, a well-trained horse of great endurance, and equestrian skill. It also has historically military ties, as Central Asia’s greatest armies were equestrian.

Social hierarchy can also be seen in these games. The day often begins with boys on the field, and ends with older men. The matches are instigated by a village elder or other resected person. Older men are given the best seats from which to watch. Lastly, it is only men who participate. Women do not compete and often do not attend these matches.

How Navruz is Celebrated: Fire, Poetry, and Song

Other common customs include fires. Some cultures will make smaller fires and jump over them. This tradition was once held by many cultures and is believed to give health or grant wishes. Today, the fires are more often used a space to enjoy the night with family reciting poetry or singing traditional songs.

Particularly in major cities, one can find major concerts held and other large-scale festivities. In Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, for instance, there is a parade that features the Navruz Princess, typically a young girl, as well as dancers from different regions of Tajikistan, floats showing Tajik national food, and more. In fact, in Tajikistan, Navruz is a weeklong holiday to fit in all the festivities.

In Uzbekistan, there are several rituals such as singing “Kelin salom” (“The Bride’s Hello”), a song traditionally sang at weddings. During Navruz, new brides or young women act out the Kelin salom while wearing traditional Uzbek dresses. In Uzbekistan, workers have three days off from work to celebrate Navruz.

The Tajiks also have a traditional poem to recite called the “Bakhor omad,” which tells how the New Year came in spring to renew the cycle of life.

Above: a performance of Kelin Salom in Uzbekistan.

Throughout the area that it is celebrated, Navruz represents a holiday of cleaning and cooking, of eating and spending time with loved ones, and of sport and taking joy in language, dance, and song. Navruz is also almost uniformly celebrated by people wearing their national dress showing that while this is a widespread and ancient tradition, it is very much a part of modern identities and national pride as well.

How Navruz Was Celebrated in Uzbekistan in 2023

Special Contribution by Alexandra Koteva

I attended SRAS’ Spring Break: Navruz in Uzbekistan program in spring, 2023. The program tours Uzbekistan’s major cities and covers a wide swath of the country’s fascinating history and culture. A major highlight of the program was the opportunity to see Navruz. This ancient holiday is rooted in Zoroastrianism and is one of Central Asia’s biggest and most unique celebrations.

Navruz is a weeklong celebration with the most important day falling on the vernal equinox, which, in 2023, was March 21st. We got to experience the national dishes, family gatherings, traditional games, music and dances, sport competitions, fairs, and other festivities that accompany the holiday.

Most Uzbek families prepare for Navruz by dedicating an entire day to cooking traditional dishes and gathering with their family and neighbors. As part of our study tour, our guide Nodir invited us to his personal home in Khiva so we could experience how a family prepares for Navruz.

Sumalak is a food that is only prepared and eaten during Navruz. Sumalak is a thick wheat pudding that is famously labor intensive. It is prepared from sprouting wheat grains and seeds which are milled and then cooked in a cauldron over an open flame. By the time we arrived, Nodir’s family was in the stirring stage of this process, working with the traditional large dowel on a frequent basis while the mixture concentrates over a period of 24 hours. Consistently stirring the sumalak requires a number of people taking turns to make sure it doesn’t burn over its cooking time. Hence, we got to experience its tradition of bringing people together by joining the family in stirring the mixture. The savory sweet smell was heavenly.

Throughout the week, I also saw many people at the bazaars selling homemade jars of sumalak for Navruz – as not everyone has the time in modern Uzbekistan to devote to this process.

Nodir’s family also taught us how to prepare spinach samsa. Samsa is a baked pastry that usually features meat, but it is made with spinach on Navruz because it is a holiday that celebrates the spring and its fresh vegetation. We rolled out the dough, added the spinach-parsley filling, then sealed the dough before it went in the oven to bake. Nodir’s family also made Khivan flatbreads (large, round flatbreads that are imprinted with a pointillism-like bread stamp to create circular patterns) and plov with beef, chickpeas, raisins, and flavorful spices. Other foods served alongside the main dishes included nuts (peanuts and walnuts), fresh and dried fruits (in particular: apples, oranges, and mulberries), tomato and cucumber salad, meat soups, pelmeni (dumplings), and khvorost (sweet crisps made by deep frying a batter from eggs, flour, and water). I learned that it is also traditional to place wheatgrass, the same as is used to make sumalak, on the table during Navruz to symbolize renewal.

Food isn’t the only thing that brings people together on Navruz. Music and dance are major parts of the holiday. Nodir’s neighbors played music on traditional string instruments for us, and I spent hours dancing with his young daughter, Vazira.

Uzbekistan also holds several official celebrations sponsored by the government. Major parks throughout the country, particularly in the capital of Tashkent, hold large festivities for Navruz to compliment the family gatherings. These include concerts and dances and special decorations for city parks such as lit-up fountains.

I had the opportunity to visit Magic City Park in Tashkent on Navruz on my own after the conclusion of the SRAS program. Young boys and older men performed national Uzbek music on drums and wind instruments. Large crowds gathered around them and followed them as part of a parade throughout the park. The processions paused every now and then for a performance during which locals joined in dance. Local Uzbek artists also gave free public music and dance performances on the park’s concert stage later in the evening. I later strolled to Tashkent City Park, not too far away, to enjoy more live concert music, also held for the holiday.

Lastly, while in Khiva, I was able to learn some kurash at a local sports school. The visit was through the SRAS tour. This traditional form of Uzbek wrestling/martial art is often on display for Navruz. There were only two young girls there (the rest were all boys), so they were very excited to see me and another girl from the study tour interested in participating. We began by stretching and warming up before transitioning to kurash moves that involved flipping onto the ground.

While sports and feats of strength are common at spring festivals world-wide, the connection between kurash and Navruz specifically is that both are proud expressions of Uzbekistan’s ancient culture. Both have extensive histories and associations: Navruz practices date from the 8th century BC, and kurash is one of the (if not the) oldest sports in the area and remains extremely popular.

In conclusion, my time in Uzbekistan was incredible. Engaging with a foreign culture at such a close level can be challenging, but the SRAS tour gave us opportunities to openly celebrate with friendly locals. For example, preparing sumalak with a local family and learning kurash were things I would not have been able to do on my own. I cherish many memories from this Navruz trip, most of all dancing with Nodir’s daughter all evening during the Navruz preparation. I also recommended the SRAS Navruz tour because this holiday extends beyond Uzbekistan, meaning that it gives you greater regional experience as well, and it’s a great way to widen one’s cultural awareness overall.

How Navruz Was Celebrated in Kyrgyzstan in 2024

Special Contribution by Bowie Fritsch, The University of Texas at Austin

As a student in the SRAS program in Bishkek, I got to experience Nowruz firsthand in two different countries.

My first sight of Nowruz was in Uzbekistan , where I traveled as an optional part of my program with SRAS in Kyrgyzstan. In Uzbekistan, I first encountered sumalak, a pudding made from wheat sprouts, which is exclusively made for Nowruz. During a visit to Khiva, the hometown of our tour guide, we were invited as guests to his home. There, we joined his family before a giant cauldron in front of the house where sumalak was being prepared. It has to be stirred for 24 hours, and I remember women taking turns stirring it as its preparation takes a lot of cooperation and effort. We also got to join in for some time to stir. While the sumalak was being stirred, as is tradition, there was singing and dancing, which is said to improve the sumalak by imbibing it with spiritual and physical strength and unity. Unfortunately, the sumalak would not be ready to eat until the next day, so I would have to wait to try it.

In Uzbekistan, I was also lucky enough to see kok boru , which is a traditional game played throughout Central Asia, including in Kyrgyzstan, on Nowruz and many other major holidays. Kok boru originates from the times of nomadism when it was also beneficial to keep men physically ready to defend their people and livestock. Kok boru is played by two teams of men on horseback who score by getting the ulak, which is a goat carcass, into the other team’s kazan (a pot-shaped goal). To watch the game, we gathered on a large field with about a hundred spectators. This game was relatively small as bigger kok boru games can gather considerably more. There are few boundaries or rules to the game, so we had to move around to avoid getting stampeded by the charging horses.

When we arrived back in Bishkek, Nowruz celebrations were also in progress there. The London School, where our study abroad program is held, had a small celebration with singing and games like tug of war. Traditional dishes like plov were served. The next day, I visited Ala-Too Square, where, during Nowruz, there are many games, performances, and concerts that celebrate the Spring and Kyrgyz culture. When I got there, it was raining lightly, but there was still a crowd of people. I did not stay in the square long because I had plans with my host family, but I did hear singing from a concert and saw many yurts set up. I walked throughout the square where I saw vendors selling fried bread and samalak as far as the eye could see; I also saw a few vendors selling candies and tables set up with various carnival games like a boxing arcade.

Although there are many events and festivities on Nowruz, most of my day was spent with my host family to have an iftar and celebrate the holiday. Most of Central Asia, including Kyrgyzstan, is Muslim and Nowruz falls right in the middle of another beloved holiday, the month-long celebration of Ramadan. During Ramadan , one must fast from sun up to sun down and thus one eats hearty breakfasts and large dinners to help get one through the day. The important evening meal is known as an iftar.

There were many guests and a table set with bread, borsok , sweets, and tea. Traditional foods were served, starting with salad, then shorpo soup, and later beshbarmak . There was also sumalak, which I got to try for the first time and was delighted to find it sweet and almost chocolate-like. After the meal, prayers were said, and later traditional songs were played.

I greatly enjoyed celebrating Nowruz and am thankful I could be in Kyrgyzstan during this festive time. From the food to festivities and gatherings of friends and family, Nowruz in Kyrgyzstan is a time-honored celebration of renewal, unity, and cultural heritage that serves as a poignant reminder of the timeless values that bind families and communities together.

Special Contribution by Kale Fuller, The Ohio State University

Nauruz, the old Zoroastrian new year that ushers in spring, is one of the largest holidays in Kyrgyzstan and being here in Bishkek during Nauruz was really amazing. The traditions of Nauruz are a very special way for Kyrgyz people to celebrate their heritage and practice millennia-old traditions.

Generally, Nauruz is celebrated by eating, dancing, and creating a special dish called sumalak. Sumalak is a thick brown paste made from wheat sprouts and flour, but what makes it really special is that it is made in a massive pot that is stirred for up to twenty-four hours – so it is incredibly labor intensive.

The morning of Nauruz it was absolutely pouring, but I grabbed a rain jacket and ventured to the main square at 10am, when the festivities were supposed to begin.

Despite the rain, there were more people there than normal, but it looked like the main celebration had been postponed to a time which I missed.

All day there was still an incredibly festive mood around Bishkek, every cafe and restaurant I visited that day had some sort of celebration, typically in the form of some sort of free food. Although Nauruz was originally a Zoroastrian holiday, it is now celebrated in mostly Muslim countries. Many major Muslim celebrations come with an expectation to perform acts of charity and generosity. So, for example, in a Turkish restaurant that my roommate and I went to, they gave us a small salad of carrots and cabbage, and at a cafe that I frequent they gave me a free cup of tea.

With Nauruz being such a big holiday, preparations begin early. I visited a large bazaar two days before Nauruz itself and people were already selling bottles of homemade sumalak. I began noticing Nauruz decorations a few days before the holiday itself, although these decorations were not nearly as extensive as what we have in America during the Christmas season.

The day before Nauruz, the London School, where we study with SRAS, put on a celebration and it was incredibly fun. We celebrated with all the traditional aspects of Nauruz: food, dancing, and traditional Kyrgyz games. As with many holidays in Kyrgyzstan, the table included plov, the traditional rice dish that is cooked in a cauldron-like pot called a kazan. Also on the menu was borsok, a fried dough dish, and an array of traditional drinks. My personal favorite Kyrgyz drink is chalap, a salty dairy drink that is incredibly filling.

It really struck me how similar most of the Kyrgyz games were to schoolyard games in the United States. One game was essentially duck, duck, goose but instead of tagging each other you throw a scarf and another was tug-of-war. Yet another (and my favorite) was a red-rover type game; I was too busy feasting on plov to play, but it was so fun to watch.

During the beginning of the celebration a woman in traditional garb burned evergreen wood and spread it throughout the air. This is a very old Kyrgyz tradition that is meant to get rid of negative spirits and cleanse the air, similar to the burning of sage in certain Native American traditions.

One of the most interesting aspects of the holiday to me, was the way in which it facilitates people to be proud of their Kyrgyz backgrounds. Around the time of Nauruz, and especially on the day itself, I noticed that significantly more people were wearing the traditional headwear, the distinctive Kyrgyz kalpak. The kalpak is an incredibly identifiable symbol for Kyrgyz culture and as such, is a symbol of their cultural pride.

Even now that Nauruz itself is over, there are some lingering festivities a few days after. For example, I went to a bazaar the Saturday after Nauruz and everywhere there were people buying and selling sumalak. From talking with local people and observing Bishkek the past few days, I have gathered that people really do view Nauruz as the beginning of spring and many things that come with warmer weather. For example, the sale of traditional drinks on the side of the road begins just after Nauruz.

Although incredibly few people in Kyrgyzstan would identify themselves as Zoroastrian, this holiday is really alive and well here. Not only that, but as Kyrgyzstan, like many post-soviet countries, continues to build its own national identity, Nauruz offers an amazing opportunity to celebrate in a uniquely Central Asian way.

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Navruz is a spring solstice celebration that marks the beginning of the New Year according to the traditional Persian calendar. It has been a beloved holiday for some 3,000 years, surviving cultural change caused by centuries of tumultuous history. It was once celebrated on the vernal equinox but is now celebrated on the set date […]

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About the author

Caroline Murray

Caroline Murray participated in SRAS’s Russian as a Second Language program in St. Petersburg in 2016. She is currently a Fulbright ETA in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. Previously, she was a FLEX participant recruiter with American Councils in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. She was inspired to apply for the Fulbright and FLEX because of her experience in St. Petersburg to further develop the language and cultural skills she acquired abroad.

Program attended: Online Internships

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Josh Wilson

Josh lived in Moscow from 2003, when he first arrived to study Russian with SRAS, until 2022. He holds an M.A. in Theatre and a B.A. in History from Idaho State University, where his masters thesis was written on the political economy of Soviet-era censorship organs affecting the stage. At SRAS, Josh assists in program development and leads our Internship Programs . He is also the editor-in-chief for the SRAS newsletter , the SRAS Family of Sites , and Vestnik . He has previously served as Communications Director to Bellerage Alinga and has served as a consultant or translator to several businesses and organizations with interests in Russia.

Program attended: SRAS Staff Member

View all posts by: Josh Wilson

Alexandra Koteva

Alexandra Koteva, at the time she wrote for this site, was double majoring in Political Science and Music and minoring in Russian Culture at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her material here was produced as part of an SRAS Online Research Internship done while she was studying abroad with SRAS in Batumi, Georgia. She is a native speaker of Bulgarian.

View all posts by: Alexandra Koteva

SRAS Wikis are maintained collectively by SRAS Challenge Grant Writers and Home and Abroad Scholars. They are meant to be continually updated repositories of information created for students and by students to best suit each SRAS location.

View all posts by: SRASwiki

Olivia Route

Olivia Route is an undergraduate studying Russian and International Relations at the University of Pennsylvania. She has previously spent summers in Russia and is excited to spend a semester exploring the former Soviet Union through SRAS’s Policy and Conflict program. Olivia likes running, eating, nature, and art.

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• Public Holidays

Navruz Holiday in Uzbekistan

The Navruz holiday in Uzbekistan is one of the most beloved, colorful and fun-filled celebrations in the country. It is celebrated on March 21, the spring equinox when daylight and darkness are of equal length. Its history can be traced back more than three thousand years to Khorasan Province in northeastern Iran, from where it eventually spread to West and Central Asia.

Navruz (also spelled Nowruz) has its roots in the ancient cult of sun worship and Zoroastrianism, which were once widespread in all of Persia and Central Asia. Navruz first received official status under the Achaemenid Dynasty in the 4th-5th centuries BC, at which time it evolved from an agricultural ritual into a Zoroastrian holiday. Navruz has long been regarded as the traditional New Year for Turkic and Iranian peoples as well as for some Europeans, and the name “Navruz” itself translates from Farsi as New Day. Today it is associated with the rebirth of nature, new life, joy and kindness.

Navruz is one of the most anticipated public holidays of the year. Celebrations can last for 2-3 days, although most public events are held on March 21st. Lively folk festivals spill over into lavishly decorated village streets, while at city fairs every variety of souvenir can be purchased. In rural areas, traditional sports competitions attract enthusiastic audiences. Especially popular are equestrian tournaments, horseback wrestling and the national game kupkari , in which two teams on horseback battle over a goat carcass.

Navruz in Uzbekistan is closely associated with new hopes and expectations. Many believe that good deeds will bring fortune in the coming year, and therefore everyone tries to forgive their enemies, avoid arguments and extend help to those in need during the holiday. It is customary to welcome many guests into your home and to visit others in return.

Another symbol associated with the traditional Uzbekistan New Year is abundance, a quality most keenly experienced in the baking and sharing of holiday treats. When the holiday rolls around, tables are loaded with special homemade dishes - savory pies, flaky samsas stuffed with spinach and fragrant plov , the national dish of Uzbekistan customarily prepared in steaming cauldrons over a fire. Traditionally, seven special dishes are served as a further symbol of fortune for the months to follow.

Among these seven dishes are select foods which are only prepared during the Navruz holiday in Uzbekistan. One such treat is nishalda , a sweet dessert of egg whites whipped with sugar and fragrant roots. A hearty alternative is khalisa , a conglomerate of 7 cereals and meats which are boiled together.

The most popular and unusual Navruz dish in Uzbekistan, however, is sumalak, a taffy-like treat prepared from wheat germ and flour. Although customarily cooked the night before Navruz, sumalak can be made any time in early spring. The tedious process involves cooking the newly sprouted wheat in a huge cauldron over the course of 24 hours. During this time the mixture should be stirred constantly, and in order to accomplish the task friends, relatives and neighbors are invited to come and help. The mostly female crowd gathers around the pot to sing songs, laugh, gossip, eat and take turns stirring the pot, making a wish as they do so. The joy-filled day and night is the perfect picture of close-knit Uzbek communities, where people living side-by-side willingly help one another and share in each other’s’ joy. Once cooked, jars of warm sumalak are distributed to many people to be savored during the Navruz season.

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• Navruz Holiday

Navruz is the most cheerful holiday in Central Asia. The history of the holiday goes back to ancient time, when people worshipped the Sun and the Fire. It was celebrated by solar calendar, based on the earth position compared to the Sun.  So the holiday celebrated on the 21 of March, the equinox day - when day and night are of equal length.

For more than 3 centuries people of Central and East Asia celebrate Navruz as the holiday of Coming Spring. Navruz is the symbol of a new day and new year, it’s time for new plans, good mood and hopes. And nothing could change tradition: neither new religions, nor new rulers – Navruz remains popular holiday. 

The New Year always brings to people hopes and belief in better life and future. It’s considered that “if a man eats an apple and sniffs narcissus in the morning of Navruz holiday, the New year will be happy for him”. That’s why Navruz remained popular holiday for many centuries.

  People of Central Asia always celebrate the holiday with love and new ideas. They carefully prepare for the holiday – clean up homes, yards and even streets. They also try to pay off their debts not to have them in the New Year. 

Navruz dishes

The main tradition of Navruz is to cook famous dishes, which are so loved by children and adults. First of all women begin to make  sumalyak .  It takes about whole day and night for preparing sumalyak. They use sprouted wheat and mix it with sugar and flour. 

To make cooking interesting and pleasant work, people dance, sing songs and listen to music. People also make pilaf and halisa for Navruz holiday. Halisa is a dish made from 7 cereals – to make it tasty they add meat.

We invite you to celebrate the most pleasant spring holiday Navruz in Uzbekistan. During the  tour   you can visit ancient cities of Uzbekistan and celebrate coming spring and New Year with us!

• Uzbek wedding
• Uzbek national clothes
• Uzbek head-dress
• Khammam baths in Bukhara
• National holidays of uzbekistan
• Uzbek shopping
• What can we learn from local people?
• The history of Uzbek Marionettes Theater
• Musical instruments of Temurids
• Creative textile of Uzbekistan
• Blacksmithing of Bukhara
• Surkhandarya people clothing
• Eastern turban

Bestseller Silkroad tour (5 d)

Bestseller Uzbekistan Tour (7 d)

Bestseller Uzbekistan – Tajikistan Tour (8 d)

Bestseller Kazakhstan – Uzbekistan Tour (10 d)

Bestseller Uzbekistan – Turkmenistan (10 d)

Bestseller Grand Uzbekistan Tour (14 d)

Bestseller Kyrgyzstan – Uzbekistan (16 d)

Bukhara City Tour (1 d)

Tashkent City Tour (1 d)

Khiva City Tour (1 d)

Samarkand City Tour (1 d)

Tashkent city tour (1 d)

Day trip & excursion to Chimgan Mountains (1 d)

Shakhrisabz tour from Samarkand (1 d)

Excursion to Solar Furnace from Tashkent (1 d)

Excursion to Muynak from Nukus (1 d)

Day tour to Samarkand from Tashkent (1 d)

Day tour to Samarkand from Tashkent by car (1 d)

Day tour to Penjikent from Samarkand (1 d)

One day tour to Khujand from Tashkent (1 d)

One day tour to Bukhara from Tashkent (1 d)

One day tour to Khiva from Tashkent (1 d)

Day tour to Nukus and Muynak from Tashkent (1 d)

Samarkand Tour from Tashkent (2 d)

Fergana valley tour from Tashkent (2 d)

Tamerlane Treasures Tour (2 d)

2 days to Bukhara from Tashkent (2 d)

Aral Sea Tour (2 d)

Nurata 3 days tour (3 d)

2 day Khujand Tour (2 d)

2 days tour to Ayaz Kala (2 d)

"Afrosiyob" Speed Train Tour (3 d)

Marguzor tour from Samarkand (2 d)

Mary Tour from Bukhara (2 d)

Samarkand & Bukhara short tour (3 d)

Kunya Urgench & Gas Crater Darvaza tour (2 d)

4 day Samarkand and Bukhara Tour (4 d)

Aral Sea Tour: 3 days (3 d)

Uzbekistan 3-day tour (3 d)

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Train tour to Fergana valley (2 d)

Bukhara & Samarkand by train (2 d)

Uzbekistan train tour: 7 days (7 d)

Uzbekistan tour by train (8 d)

Navruz Group Tour 2023 (6 d)

Uzbekistan Group Tour 2023–2024 (8 d)

Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan Group Tour, 2024 (12 d)

Fixed Dates! Central Asia Tour 2024 (14 d)

İstanbul'dan Özbekistan Turu (5 d)

Uzbekistan tour from Istanbul|2 (7 d)

Winter Tale in Uzbekistan (from KL) (7 d)

Uzbekistan Tour from London, UK (7 d)

Uzbekistan Tour from NYC / USA (7 d)

Tour to Uzbekistan from India, Delhi| 1 (9 d)

Tour to Uzbekistan from Indonesia / Malaysia (7 d)

Tour Uzbekistan from Delhi|2 (6 d)

Turkey – Uzbekistan Grand Excursional Tour |1 (9 d)

Uzbekistan tour from Malaysia / Singapore (7 d)

Tour to Uzbekistan from Australia & New Zealand (10 d)

8 day Ethnic tour in Uzbekistan (8 d)

9 day ceramic tour to Uzbekitan (8 d)

Gastronomic tour in Uzbekistan (8 d)

Uzbekistan Art Tour (8 d)

Ladies Only! Silk Road tour to Uzbekistan (7 d)

Wine testing tour (7 d)

Uzbekistan winery tour (6 d)

Birdwatching tour in Uzbekistan (9 d)

Trekking tour to Beldersay (3 d)

Chimgan Hiking Tour (1 d)

Nurata Village Tour (3 d)

Aral Sea Tour (Basic) (2 d)

Asraf – Aydarkul Tour (4 d)

Nurata Hiking Tour (5 d)

Aral Sea Tour (Extended) (3 d)

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4 days Uzbekistan tour on May holidays 2021 (4 d)

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New Year Uzbekistan Tour (6 d)

Sufi tour in Uzbekistan (7 d)

Sacred tour in Uzbekistan (6 d)

Ziyorat tour to Uzbekistan: 8 days (8 d)

Uzbekistan Easter Tour 2021 (9 d)

Cultural & religious tour to the cities of Uzbekistan (7 d)

12 days tour to Zoroastrian and Buddhist shrines in Uzbekistan (12 d)

One day tour to Chimgan Mountains (1 d)

Bukhara and Samarkand by train (3 d)

Bukhara & Samarkand in two days (2 d)

Uzbekistan – Kyrgyzstan Tour | 1 (12 d)

Uzbekistan – Kyrgyzstan Tour | 2 (14 d)

Uzbekistan – Kyrgyzstan Tour | 3 (15 d)

Uzbekistan – Kyrgyzstan Tour | 4 (17 d)

Uzbekistan – Turkmenistan Tour | 7 (12 d)

Uzbekistan – Turkmenistan Tour | 1 (6 d)

Uzbekistan – Turkmenistan Tour | 2 (7 d)

Turkmenistan & Uzbekistan in 8 days / 2 (8 d)

Uzbekistan – Turkmenistan Tour | 3 (8 d)

Uzbekistan – Turkmenistan Tour | 4 (10 d)

Uzbekistan – Turkmenistan Tour | 5 (9 d)

Uzbekistan – Turkmenistan Tour | 6 (11 d)

Uzbekistan – Turkmenistan Tour | 8 (14 d)

Uzbekistan – Tajikistan Tour | 1 (7 d)

Uzbekistan – Tajikistan Tour | 2 (8 d)

Uzbekistan – Tajikistan Tour | 3 (10 d)

Uzbekistan – Tajikistan Tour | 4 (11 d)

Uzbekistan – Tajikistan Tour | 5 (14 d)

Uzbekistan – Turkmenistan – Kyrgyzstan 18 days (18 d)

Uzbekistan – Tajikistan – Turkmenistan 12 days (12 d)

Uzbekistan – Turkmenistan – Tajikistan 14 days (16 d)

Uzbekistan – Tajikistan – Turkmenistan 14 days (14 d)

Uzbekistan – Tajikistan – Kyrgyzstan 16 days (16 d)

Uzbekistan – Turkmenistan – Kyrgyzstan 15 days (15 d)

Uzbekistan – Kyrgyzstan – Kazakhstan 18 days (18 d)

4 Stan Capital Tour (6 d)

Central Asia 4 STAN tour - 5 (12 d)

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Central Asia 4-stan tour - 2 (20 d)

Central Asia 4 STAN tour - 4 (16 d)

22 day tour (20 d)

5-stan tour in Central Asia 3: 18 days (18 d)

5-Stan Tour in Central Asia 1: 12 days (12 d)

5 Stan Capital Tour (12 d)

5 Stan tour in Central Asia 1: 14 days (14 d)

5-stan Tour in Central Asia 2: 14 days (14 d)

5-stan tour in Central Asia 4: 20 days (20 d)

5-stans tour in Central Asia 5: 24 days (25 d)

4 STAN VIP Tour (17 d)

Uzbekistan Silk Road Premium tour (5 d)

Uzbekistan VIP Tour: 1 week itinerary (7 d)

Central Asian Pearls Premium (9 d)

Central Asia VIP Tour (12 d)

5 STAN VIP TOUR (17 d)

Uzbekistan Family Tour (6 d)

Tashkent and Chimgan mountains tour from Samarkand (2 d)

Eid Holiday Uzbekistan Tour (4 d)

Weekend Uzbekistan tour from UAE (3 d)

Tour to Uzbekistan from Dubai |2 (5 d)

Tour to Uzbekistan from Kuwait (5 d)

Uzbekistan Tour by Uzbekistan Airways (6 d)

• Handicrafts [20]
• Uzbek traditions [14]
• Uzbek cuisine [13]
• Nature of Uzbekistan [9]
• Architectural monuments [13]
• Uzbek legends and mythes [9]
• Restaurants [16]
• Religious monuments [4]
• Cultural programs [14]
• Parks of Uzbekistan [7]
• The great people [6]
• Tashkent night life [2]

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Novruz is widely celebrated in our country as the symbol of winter's leaving and spring's coming.

Novruz is celebrated on the first day of spring. The first day of spring on the calendar is determined by the annual circling of the sun.

According to scientists, the holiday has an ancient history. Scientific researches relate the Novruz holiday with the period of the prophet Zardush that dates 3500-5000 years back.

This holiday was celebrated in ancient Babylon for 12 days beginning in Nisan (March, April) 21. each of the 12 days had its ceremonies and enjoyment. According to the first inscription, the holiday of Novruz was established in 505 B.C.

Islam figures always try to explain this holiday from a religious point of view. But the prominent enlighteners Firdovsi, Rudaki, Avicenna, Nizami, Sadi, Hafiz and others proved that the age of Novruz is older. Nizami's 'Siyasetname' and Omar Khayyam's 'Novruzname' dedicated to Novruz holiday.

Novruz was unofficially celebrated in the Soviet period, for the reason that the government prohibited the celebrations and pursuit of people. Despite all that, each Azerbaijan family followed the hundred years old traditions and celebrated Novruz.

Nature starts to wake in Novruz and Azerbaijan people demonstratively celebrate it a month ago. On Tuesdays, we celebrate Su Charshabnasi (water —  Tuesday), Odlu Charshanba (fire —   Tuesday), Torpag Charshanba (land —  Tuesday) and Akhir Charshanba (final or wind  —   Tuesday). According to the folk belief water in the first Tuesday purifies and stirs, fire on the second Tuesday, land on the third Tuesday and wind on the fourth Tuesday awaken nature, the trees begin to blossom; all this symbolize spring's coming.

Noruz holiday is rich with ancient traditions and games. 'Khidir Ilyas' the symbol of productivity and blossom),'Kos-Kosa'- funny square game (the symbol of spring's coming) and fortune-telling are among them.

Novruz also has Interesting traditions relating to water and fire. Being the land of the fire Azerbaijan has rich traditions relating to it. The fire is the symbol of purification and clarification. Bonfires are made in Novruz and before the holiday comes people in Akhir Charshanba, despite the age and gender, jump seven times over one, or once over 7 bonfires and say: 'Give me your redness and take my yellowness.' The fire is never put out by water; it burns down by itself. Young boys and girls take the ash of the fire and throw it far from the house. It is explained as follows: all the mischance of the family is thrown away with the ash.

Purification by water is related to the real peculiarity of water. Traditions related to water symbolize New Year in Azerbaijan. Jumping overflowing water in the New Year one clears himself from his past year's faults. The members of the family splash water on themselves before going to bed at night on the eve of New Year day. They say all flowing waters cease in Akhir Charshanba and everything bound to it, even trees bound down. Who drinks from this water on the evening of the New Year saves himself from all the diseases in the coming year.

The peak of Novruz is the time when the past year gives its turn to a new one. According to old traditions shootings from the pistols were heard in the honour of Novruz at that moment. In the N. Dubrovin wrote about it in the 19 th century: 'Shootings in the cities and the villages informed springs coming to Azerbaijan.' Adam Oleary, the witness of Novruz holiday in 1637 wrote: ' Astrologer very often stood up his place and determined the height of the un with astronomic equipment and sun-clock and at the moment of equinox he said: 'New year has come at the same moment shootings started, music heard at the towers and walls of the city. Spring holiday started.'

Azerbaijanis pay particular attention to the table laid for the holiday. There should be 7 varieties of food on the table the names of which starts with the letter 'S', for example, sumakh (a kind of spice), sirke (vinegar), sud (milk), samani (grown wheat), sebzi (fried meat with greens) etc. A mirror, with coloured eggs on it and candles should also be on the table. The candle is the symbol of fire and light(keeping a person from damage), the mirror is the symbol of happiness.

According to the tradition, all the members of the family should be at home on the first day of the holiday. People say: 'If you are not at home on the day of the holiday, you will live without a home for seven years.' The outer doors were kept open in the past. On the first day of the new year, the lights are kept turned on the whole night, for turned off light and fire is the symbol of misfortune.

Celebrating Novruz people in the villages determine the peculiarity of the coming year: whether it will be either arid or rainy and determine the degree of productivity. According to the tradition, the first day of Novruz symbolizes spring, the second day after it is summer, the third day is autumn and the fourth is winter. If the first day is windless and arid, so the spring is going to be favourable for agricultural works, and if it is rainy and windy so the spring is expected to be the same. On the rest of the days, they determined summer, autumn and winter.

Novruz is a fun and favourite holiday. Novruz is a holiday that embraces all of our people.

Note : since 2006, when a public holiday falls on a day off, the next business day is considered non-working.

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