Azerbaijan celebrates Novruz holiday

Azerbaijan marks the Novruz holiday on March 20, symbolizing the awakening of nature and the beginning of a new year. The celebration reflects renewal, life, and the arrival of spring.

Festivities begin weeks in advance, with four consecutive Tuesdays dedicated to the elements: Water, Fire, Wind, and Earth. According to tradition, each Tuesday represents the gradual revival of nature, culminating in the final Earth Tuesday, which signals the full arrival of spring.

Holiday tables hold special importance, featuring dishes that traditionally begin with the letter "S" in Azerbaijani, such as sumac, vinegar, milk, sprouted wheat (samani), and greens. Decorative items like candles, mirrors, and painted eggs are also essential, each carrying a symbolic meaning: candles represent light and protection, while mirrors symbolize clarity.

By tradition, families spend the first day of the holiday at home. A popular belief says that anyone who leaves home on this day may remain away for seven years. In the past, doors were left open, and lights were kept burning throughout the night, as extinguished light was seen as a sign of misfortune.

This year, spring arrives in Azerbaijan at 06:45:53 pm Baku time, when day and night become equal, and the sun rises exactly in the east and sets in the west. The season will last 92 days, 17 hours, 38 minutes, and 28 seconds.

Novruz was inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list on September 30, 2009.