NEW YEAR

NEVRUZ

Nowruz means new day and also new year.21st of March is celebrated as new year in many countries especially in Turkish governments.(Azerbeijan,Afghanistan,Turkmenistan,Albania,Iran,Tajikistan, Kırgızistan and in Turkey) This new day is the beginning of spring and spring also is the beginning of the new year.In spring time nature wakes up and everything in the nature begins to grow again after the winter.

As we well know that on 21st of March is equinox that means day and night is in same length. After 21 st of March the day goes longer than the night. At the time of the equinox, the sun is observed to be directly over the equator, and the north and south poles of the Earth lie along the solar terminator; sunlight is evenly divided between the north and hemispheres.

New beginning in nature is accepted the beginning of the new year in Turkish governments in ancient times.As it has seen in many different historical sources it is certain that it is a very old Turkish (around 5000 years) tradition and this day is being celebrated every year at 21st of March with a great joy and happiness.It has also different meanings in other countries.

There are many different traditions in Anatolia in different regions.Everybody make some preparations for this special day.People start preparing for the Nowruz with a major spring-cleaning of their houses, the purchase of new clothes to wear for the new year and the purchase of flowers.

During the Nowruz holidays, people are expected to visit one another in the form of short house visits, which are usually reciprocated. Typically, on the first day of Nowruz, family members gather around the table.Traditional dishes are cooked for guests on this day. People visit each other to celebrate this day. People would get up early and boil eggs giving each child two. They also would cook special dishes known as eksi

People generally come together to have dinner, to play games, to cheer each other, to sing cheerfull songs.

Fire is the the symbol of this holiday.It represents the sun on the Earth.It has also a special meaning “ Fire is a device of cleaning and purification”A big fire is made and people play different games around it.At last people jump over the fire with a wish one bye one and they believe it will come true.

A.Yasin ŞENTÜRK