Novruz is Coming

Novruz is coming. The goose is getting fat. Well, no, it’s not, but every few nights, my host brother goes out into the yard with the family rifle to see if there are any geese flying migrating overhead. Besides, who has geese? Turkeys, chicken, ducks, that’s normal, but geese? Crazy talk.

Novruz is the biggest holiday in Azerbaijan, a celebration of the end of winter and the coming spring. Novruz is a secular holiday, though it has roots in the Zoroastrian tradition, and variations on Novruz are also celebrated in a number of coutnries in the region, including Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Georgia, Bulgaria, and Albania.

The four Tuesdays leading up to Novruz, which will be March 20-22, are called Chershemba, and each symbolizes one of the four elements (water, fire, wind, and earth) awakening from winter. It is common to light candles during dinner and build a fire outside. The last two Tuesdays my host brother has lit two torches and stuck them in the ground. We stand outside and watch them burn. The first Tuesday, there was still some snow on the ground, so we had a snowball fight and made a snowman. For dinner both nights, my host mother made plov. Plov is generally reserved for special occasions such as visiting relatives and holidays.

Novruz itself is a large, multi-day holiday, and schools will get about 10 days off. One of the staples of Novruz is the building of a large bonfire, and people jump over the fire while making wishes. Children carry their hats around to their neighbors and leave them inside the door. They return later to find their hat filled with treats and candies, a practice that reminds me of a sort of mash up of Santa Claus and Halloween. They also ask questions and then eavesdrop on the adults and it is believed that the first thing they hear will answer their question.

Novruz is also a time for family. My other host brother will be coming in from Baku, as well as the previous volunteer who lived with this family. Many families also take time to remember those who have passed away. Last Tuesday, our neighbors honored their father who died a year ago. My host parents spent a large part of the day at their house, as he was a friend of theirs.