CIS Countries Celebrate Vernal Equinox
20 March 2023
For more than 3000 years, the vernal equinox has been celebrated as the beginning of the new year in the Balkans, the Middle East, the Caucasus, the Central Asia, the Black Sea region and some other regions of the world. The word ”nowruz”is translated from Farsi as ”new day”.
Within the CIS, the holiday of Nowruz is celebrated in the Azerbaijan Republic, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan. In the Azerbaijan Republic the holiday is called Novruz, in the Republic of Kazakhstan – Nauryz Meiramy, in the Kyrgyz Republic – Public Holiday Nooruz, in the Republic of Tajikistan – International Holiday Navruz, in the Republic of Uzbekistan – Navruz Bairami.
It is also celebrated in several Russian regions such as the Republic of Adygea, the Republic of Tatarstan and the Republic of Bashkortostan.
Through its long history this holiday has symbolized renewal, hope, friendship and harmony.
In 2009 Nowruz was included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity along with other 76 elements of the world intangible heritage.
In 2010 the 64th UN General Assembly adopted a resolution that recognized 21 March as the International Day of Nowruz.
