Everyone in Kyrgyzstan is looking forward to a warm and sunny spring after a long and cold winter. Nooruz marks the astronomical start of the spring, or spring equinox, when day and night even up and daylight time starts to grow. March 21st is full of different events, performances, and delicious food. Novastan interviewed Kyrgyz people to find out how Kyrgyzstan celebrates Nooruz.

On the 21st of March, Kyrgyz citizens are having a Nooruz (“noo” – new and “ruz” – day) celebration. Nooruz is an ancient national celebration of the spring equinox when the day and the night become equal. It is celebrated on the 21st of March and marks the beginning of the New Year and the renewal of nature in many cultures. 

Bazarkan

Neighbors usually organize events within their village. Bazarkan is a Kyrgyz teacher from a small village called “Jangarach”.

“Nowruz was a highly awaited holiday … My mother would sew new dresses and tebeteis (Kyrgyz national hats worn by girls) for me and my sister. Everyone would clean their houses and yards for the guests and cook a lot of delicious food to share with family and friends,” says Bazarkan.

Unlike the popular belief that Nooruz is about the awakening of nature and the coming of the New Year, Bazarkan grew up with a different opinion on the meaning of the holiday.

Read more on Novastan: Beyond fun and games – the politics of Nowruz

“Nooruz is all about friendship and community,” she says. The whole day is supposed to be spent having a good time by playing traditional Kyrgyz games, eating traditional food, singing, dancing, and chatting with the neighbors to establish a stronger bond with them. 

Nowadays her village does not celebrate this holiday as it used to. “It is becoming less popular to celebrate Nooruz,” says Bazarkan sadly. Today the elders of the village still try to organize some games and celebrations but fewer and fewer people are participating. “I think this is happening due to changes in people’s beliefs and religions,” she adds. 

Ruslan

Ruslan is a youth activist who involves foreigners and tourists in cultural games such as Kok-Boru. 

“I always follow the elders. To be honest, I don’t even know when Nooruz will be this year” says Ruslan. Growing up, he celebrated Nooruz in Ekaterinburg, Russia. Now that Ruslan moved back to Kyrgyzstan, he still celebrates it with his family. Unlike before, his whole family and relatives gather together to celebrate and eat traditional food – in Russia it used to be just him and his immediate family. 

When asked about the meaning of the holiday, Ruslan uncertainly says, “The beginning, right?” 

Sezim 

“We usually celebrate Nooruz at home, however not as large as the New Year. Although, Nooruz is our New Year” says Sezim. She shares that her family usually celebrates by cooking boorsoks (traditional Kyrgyz pastry), plov, and inviting their closest relatives. When Sezim used to be younger, she used to live in the Issyk-Kul region where every Nooruz would be celebrated by having a big fair, and she would even perform there sometimes as she used to attend musical school. 

Sezim sees Nooruz as a family holiday. Her favorite parts of the Holiday are the colorful traditional Kyrgyz clothing and rituals such as the burning of juniper which is supposed to clean the house and get rid of bad spirits. 

Kubanych

For local designers, Nooruz is more than just a national holiday. It is a chance to share their art with people.

The coming of spring is celebrated yearly in the Supara Ethno-complex with a lot of laughter and fun. Every Nooruz ethno-complex comes up with different programs. Guests can take part in traditional Kyrgyz games, learn how to work with clay, take a stroll around the museum that is located on the territory of the complex, and take a look at traditional Kyrgyz clothing. 

A couple of days before the big celebration, the staff prepares sumolok (a traditional dish prepared specifically for Nooruz), which all of the guests love. 

“This event is mainly organized to teach the young generation about Kyrgyz values and traditions,” says Kubanych, the organizer of the event. Kubanych also shares that throughout the years they have witnessed more young people attending the event dressed in traditional clothing.

Background

Kyrgyzstan has been an independent country for 31 years. However, Nooruz was celebrated in this region long before. Nooruz is considered a holiday with origins in Zoroastrianism and its roots go back to ancient times before the arrival of Islam to Kyrgyzstan.

Today this holiday is celebrated in large parts of the South Caucasus, Western Asia, and Southern and Central Asia, in countries such as Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and some parts of Russia (Bashkortostan, Dagestan, Tatarstan).

All photos by Tasnim Azimova, unless indicated otherwise

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