KZ in AZ

So in March Azerbaijan celebrates their biggest holiday of the year, Novruz. Novruz is both the celebration of the New Year and spring. For the 4 Tuesdays before Good Friday each element is honored. The anthropologist in me LOVED this stuff!!! (It’s very pagan too!)
*Air: Everyone opens their doors and windows to let a breeze flow though the house. If this day is a sunny day it is a good omen for the year.
*Fire: On this day you build a big bonfire, make a wish, and jump over the fire. They also plant a small plate of wheatgrass this day that will be their centerpiece for the last night’s dinner. (This wheatgrass is the main symbol of Novruz, usually with a red bow around it.)
*Water: Everyone cleans their house this day, it’s kind of like “spring cleaning.” If it rains this day it is a good omen for this year’s harvest.
*Earth: To honor the Earth you hide dirt somewhere inside your house on this day.
The Friday after the last Tuesday is the conclusion of the holiday. This day is like Halloween, Easter, New Years, and thanksgiving all in one. This was a fun and interesting holiday. I spent it with one of my students and her family so I got to live it through a child’s eye.
During the day there is a lot of cooking going on and the coloring of boiled eggs. The kids will take the eggs and knock then together top to bottom once; each kid having made a wish. On egg will crack and the other won’t. The kid with the egg that didn’t break gets their wish. I thought this was a lot like the breaking of the wishbone at thanksgiving with Easter eggs.
Throughout the day everyone is eating but in particular they are eating baklava, which I have a new respect for. The American version of baklava that is a wet corn syrup contraption will never again be consumed by me. The baklava here is made mostly of nuts, is somewhat dry, with full and flavorful layers. They also eat their national dish “ash” which is flavorful rice with roasted chestnuts and a burnt bottom (kind of like good Spanish rice.) There are various salads, kabob, fish, and plenty of sweets. During dinner candles are lit, one per member of the family. Each person is represented by a candle. The first candle to burn out will be the first person to die. The last person to burn out will have the longest life.
Later in the night a bonfire is created. You walk around the bonfire 3 times and then jump over it. You will do this process 3 times. People do this to rid themselves of their sins in the past year. I noticed, while circling the fire people were praying.
Then the kids will then go door to door in the dark. They will either throw an empty hat in an open door or they will place an empty hat by a locked door, knock and run away. The people in the houses will then fill the hats with candy, colored eggs, and other goodies. They will then leave the hats outside the door for the spying kids to go collect.
Finally, everyone set off fireworks at their homes. You can see fireworks throughout the night from different areas of town. I have selected a few pictures from my day and posted them below. The one of me jumping is a horrible pic of me but a great pic in general so I had to share it!


On a separate note, my sister had her baby on March 11th!!! Her name is Holly Zamira Zigmont Davis. I’m very proud that she has a part Azeri name that I helped choose. Zamira is both the Azeri word for Hope and the Hebrew word for song. She is healthy and beautiful! To see pictures of her please go to this site: http://www.zigmont.com/Holly.htm

Much love to all of you,
Kat Zig

Disclaimer: “The contents of this website are mine personally and does not reflect any position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps.”