Navruz – spring’s first breath

Man identify the spring with appearance of new goals and expectations, wakening and renewal of the nature and hope for a rich harvest.

The main spring fest in Uzbekistan is Navruz celebrated on March 21. “Navruz” is translated from Persian as “new day”. This day is the vernal equinox. The fest was born 7 thousand years ago in antique Iran and connected with Zoroastrianism culture. Later, it spread on the territory of Central Asia. According to solar calendar the year starts with spring, the day of the vernal equinox.   Thus, Navruz is a New Year holiday.

Both old and young wait for this fest. People is carefully preparing for its celebration.  This day different delicious dishes are cooked in each house, choykhona and makhallya (residential districts). Sure enough, Sumalyak is main traditional, festive dish.  So, what is Sumalyak? Main ingredients are grains of sprouted wheat. These grains are refined, then put into kazan (big iron pot), filled with water and powder and left to boiling for 12 hours. It is necessary to muddle the dish carefully to prevent scorching. Cooks put smooth stones or walnuts on pot’s bottom. Preparation of sumalyak is accompanied with singing, dancing and telling interesting stories. The same time they backing the kuk-somsa- traditional pies filled with several greens and nisholda (mixed roots and eggs).

People gather on big squares to celebrate Navruz. Sounds of karnay and surnay announce the fest beginning. After celebration people put plants and visit each other during following 13 days.