{"id":45938,"date":"2024-03-21T10:34:38","date_gmt":"2024-03-21T09:34:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/?p=45938"},"modified":"2024-03-22T12:59:32","modified_gmt":"2024-03-22T11:59:32","slug":"how-is-kyrgyzstan-celebrating-nooruz-in-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/culture-sports\/how-is-kyrgyzstan-celebrating-nooruz-in-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"How is Kyrgyzstan celebrating Nooruz in 2024?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>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.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the 21st of March, Kyrgyz citizens are having a Nooruz (\u201cnoo\u201d &#8211; new and \u201cruz\u201d &#8211; 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.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"hp-newsletter col-span-3 lg:col-span-1 flex flex-col bg-primary-100 border-t-8 border-secondary-500 rounded-lg justify-center items-center lg:items-stretch px-6 py-6 gap-4 box-border\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"flex\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"enveloppe\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"far fa-envelope text-5xl text-secondary-300\"><\/i>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"formulaire_nl\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"font-bold text-xl block\">The whole of Central Asia in your inbox\n<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSubscribe to our free weekly newsletter\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<form class=\"flex w-3\/4 lg:w-full\" action=\"https:\/\/us4.list-manage.com\/subscribe?u=6a15a2256d412b041fdec39e8&amp;id=d479236523\" method=\"post\" id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" name=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" class=\"validate\" target=\"_blank\" novalidate=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"flex-grow py-2 px-3 border border-primary-300 rounded-l\" type=\"email\" placeholder=\"Email\" name=\"EMAIL\" id=\"mce-EMAIL\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"bg-secondary-500 py-2 px-3 text-white rounded-r-md border border-secondary-500\" type=\"submit\" value=\"\" name=\"subscribe\">Register<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/form>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#\" class=\"underline text-secondary-700\">Click here for the latest issue\n<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><!-- newsletter -->\n\t\t\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"512\" height=\"288\" data-id=\"45960\" src=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-2-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-45960\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-2-1.jpg 512w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-2-1-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-id=\"45962\" src=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-4-1-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-45962\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-4-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-4-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-4-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-4-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-4-1.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Neighbors gather and cook Sumolok<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"45963\" src=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-3-1-576x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-45963\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-3-1-576x1024.jpg 576w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-3-1-169x300.jpg 169w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-3-1-768x1365.jpg 768w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-3-1-864x1536.jpg 864w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-3-1.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"512\" height=\"288\" data-id=\"45961\" src=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-1-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-45961\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-1-2.jpg 512w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-1-2-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">People from all over Kyrgyzstan wear colorful traditional dresses.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" data-id=\"45964\" src=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-5-1-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-45964\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-5-1-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-5-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-5-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-5-1-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-5-1.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">And nature is awakening even in the coldest areas.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Bazarkan<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Neighbors usually organize events within their village. Bazarkan is a Kyrgyz teacher from a small village called \u201cJangarach\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNowruz was a highly awaited holiday \u2026 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,\u201d says Bazarkan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Read more on Novastan: <a href=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/kazakhstan\/beyond-fun-and-games-the-politics-of-nowruz\/\">Beyond fun and games \u2013 the politics of Nowruz<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" data-id=\"45995\" src=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-6-3-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-45995\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-6-3-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-6-3-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-6-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-6-3-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-6-3.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bazarkan from the village of Jangarach.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"45996\" src=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-7-1-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-45996\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-7-1-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-7-1-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-7-1-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-7-1.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Blossoming trees in early spring.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNooruz is all about friendship and community,\u201d 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nowadays her village does not celebrate this holiday as it used to. \u201cIt is becoming less popular to celebrate Nooruz,\u201d says Bazarkan sadly. Today the elders of the village still try to organize some games and celebrations but fewer and fewer people are participating. \u201cI think this is happening due to changes in people&#8217;s beliefs and religions,\u201d she adds.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-13-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-46012\" style=\"width:1054px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-13-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-13-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-13-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-13-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-13.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Several Kyrgyz men wearing the traditional white-felt hat, the ak-kalpak.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ruslan <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ruslan is a youth activist who involves foreigners and tourists in cultural games such as Kok-Boru.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI always follow the elders. To be honest, I don&#8217;t even know when Nooruz will be this year\u201d 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 \u2013 in Russia it used to be just him and his immediate family.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When asked about the meaning of the holiday, Ruslan uncertainly says, \u201cThe beginning, right?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-8-1-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-45974\" style=\"width:1054px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-8-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-8-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-8-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-8-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-8-1.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ruslan on horseback, playing the traditional game of Kok-Boru. Photo by Andrei Dobozha.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Sezim&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;We usually celebrate Nooruz at home, however not as large as the New Year. Although, Nooruz is our New Year&#8221; 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.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Kubanych<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For local designers, Nooruz is more than just a national holiday. It is a chance to share their art with people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis event is mainly organized to teach the young generation about Kyrgyz values and traditions,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-id=\"45977\" src=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-9-1-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-45977\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-9-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-9-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-9-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-9-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-9-1.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Local designers share their art during Nooruz.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-id=\"45976\" src=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-10-1-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-45976\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-10-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-10-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-10-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-10-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-10-1.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">National beverages on tap.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-id=\"45978\" src=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-11-1-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-45978\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-11-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-11-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-11-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-11-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/03\/Nooruz-Tasnim-11-1.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Kyrgyz berkutchi (eagle hunter) with his bird.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Background<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\"><strong>All photos by Tasnim Azimova, unless indicated otherwise <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>For more news and analysis from Central Asia, follow us on <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/Novastan_Eng\">Twitter<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Novastan.org\/\">Facebook<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/telegram.me\/novastan\">Telegram<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/fondation-novastan\/\">Linkedin<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/novastanorg\/\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1898,"featured_media":45956,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4670,3],"tags":[513,2578],"coauthors":[4693,4737],"class_list":["post-45938","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture-sports","category-kyrgyzstan","tag-culture","tag-kyrgyzstan"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45938","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1898"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45938"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45938\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46022,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45938\/revisions\/46022"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45956"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45938"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45938"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45938"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=45938"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}