The peoples of many countries have been celebrating Nowruz for over 6,000 years, striving for a better life, happiness, and peace. The folk holiday of Nowruz reflects numerous symbols for many nations, especially for the Tajiks. These symbols primarily represent the awakening of nature, prosperity, and the expression of the connection between the Universe and Humanity. Nowruz is the victory of light over darkness, warmth over cold, good over evil, youth over old age, purity over ugliness, nobility over baseness, knowledge over ignorance, wisdom over foolishness, and health over disease.
Nowruz is the holiday of the arrival of spring, the celebration of the Earth’s prosperity, and the awakening of the beauty of life. It is a folk and popular holiday, celebrated from ancient times to the present, living in the hearts and minds of people. This is the precious heritage of our ancestors, originating among the Aryan people five or six thousand years ago. This event is celebrated every year in the spring, filled with colors, aromas, freshness, and a passionate outlook on life. Nowruz is the holiday of the revival of the sleeping world, the awakening of nature, the beginning of the agricultural year, and the labor of the farmer, the beginning of improvements, which are considered harbingers of spring, the renewal of the year, and the arrival of warm weather. Nowruz symbolizes the revival of national values, the preservation and popularization of historical and cultural monuments, which are of great importance for raising the spirit of patriotism and self-awareness, especially among teenagers and youth.
It is not for nothing that the famous holiday of Nowruz is mentioned by great Aryan kings such as Kaiomars and Jamshid, as well as other great figures.
There are many legends about the origin of Nowruz and its traditions. The achievements of King Jamshid in establishing the Nowruz holiday are mentioned in almost all historical sources, particularly in the tale by Hakim Abul-Qasim Firdausi, «The Origin of Nowruz.» When Jamshid took a break from state affairs, he sat on the royal throne, and the entire nobility and army of the country gathered around the throne, showering him with jewels. King Jamshid called this day, the first day of Farvardin, the beginning of the year — Nowruz.
The Founder of Peace and National Unity, the Leader of the Nation, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, his excellency Emomali Rahmon, in his annual Address to the Supreme Assembly of the Republic of Tajikistan on December 21, 2021, noted that «Culture, as the main factor of moral education and the carrier of history, is always under the attention of the Government of the country, and the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan is taking many steps related to the history, culture, and civilization of the ancient Tajik people both within the country and on the international stage.»
During the Sassanid era, the Avesta calendar was used, according to which the first day of the month in the Sassanid family was called Ormuzd, and the beginning of the New Year was counted from the first day of Farvardin. In the «Nahbat-ulf-Dahra,» Damascus also described the Nowruz ceremony during the Sassanid period. It was noted that Nowruz has been celebrated since the creation of the world, that is, from the time when human society was created.
Nowruz is also mentioned in another tradition: on the morning of Nowruz, white game birds were released into the sky in hopes of peace, and on this day, everyone tried to eat a piece of fresh cheese and freshly milked milk. This tradition was followed for prosperity and abundance. During the Nowruz celebration, from ancient times to the present day, people decorate the Nowruz house (Navruz-khana) with items starting with the letter «Sh»: candles (sham), wine (sharob), milk (shir), candlesticks (shamshod), sugar (shakar), honey and sugar (shahad), and a comb (shona). Nowruz is celebrated in almost all parts of Central Asia and many countries of Khawarazm. In some regions, Nowruz is also called the beginning of the year and the New Year.
In the cities and villages of Mavarannahr, on the eve of Nowruz, people exchanged flowers, showered each other with roses, and tasted juices and sweets. When Nowruz arrived, it was customary for all family members to gather at home.
Depending on the first day of the year, Persian-speaking people believed they would be lucky, and on this day, black items were not brought into the house, as black items were considered a sign of evil forces — Ahriman — while white items were a sign of good forces — Ormuzd.
Also, the Aryan people, since ancient times and up to the present day, wear white robes on Nowruz and begin the New Year’s feast with drinking fresh milk and white sugar, a tradition that many Tajiks continue today. On the eve of the New Year, March 21, people prepare white dishes such as rice pudding, milk pudding, and others.
It should be noted that in historical sources, there are many legends about Nowruz Khojasta. For example: «Whoever says a good word this morning, tastes sugar, and anoints themselves with olive oil, will be safe from all evils for the whole year.» There was a belief that after this, people would return to a normal state, blessings and abundance would come to them, and they would be freed from depression and suffering, and on such a favorable day, the Sun would appear, and light would radiate from it.
Today, we proudly report that thanks to the independence and freedom of our beloved homeland, we have revived this precious tradition of our ancestors and created a favorable foundation for the further development of the Nowruz tradition.
This reflects the fact that during Nowruz and the New Year, people visit the sick and extend a helping hand to those in need. Thus, Nowruz is a holiday reflecting unity, peace, loyalty, and solidarity among the peoples of different countries and nationalities. Nowruz is a humanistic holiday that brings happiness to all people, giving them high taste and a fresh spirit.
That is why, for over six thousand years, Nowruz, as a holiday of tolerance and creativity, prosperity and purity, invites people to creative work. The giving of happiness and joy to all people vividly embodies the social aspect of this great holiday of our ancestors. Therefore, prosperity, creativity, forgiveness of each other’s sins, elimination of hatred and hostility, and gathering in the New Year circle are among the traditions of ancient Nowruz, which is celebrated year after year among different peoples of the world at the initiative of the great leader of the Tajiks.
As the Founder of peace and national unity, the Leader of the nation, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, the esteemed Emomali Rahmon, notes: «Nowruz expresses the thinking of history, the spiritual image, morality, dreams, and worldview of our nation, which, throughout its existence, has preserved our culture and national identity.»
Indeed, Nowruz, as an ancient holiday, symbolizes the cultural history of the people, embodying the taste and image of the Aryan people and the inseparable connection between past and present history. In this context, in anticipation of the Nowruz holiday, symbolizing renewal, peace, and unity of peoples, special importance is attached to the agreement between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Just as Nowruz symbolizes victory and light, the agreements between the two neighboring countries open a new page and a possibility in strengthening good neighborly relations, stability, and mutual understanding. This historic step reflects the ancient wisdom of the peoples of the region striving for peace and prosperity, which is especially symbolic during the celebration of Nowruz.
Ghulomnosirova F.M.,
Deputy Head of the Department of Analysis
and Forecasting of Macroeconomic Issues at
the Center for Strategic Research under the
President of the Republic of Tajikistan
