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22nd March 2013 Dushanbe, Tajikistan

The Festival of Navruz – Spring Equinox

The following is a post by HM Ambassador Robin Ord-Smith

For a foreigner this is a very special time to be in Tajikistan.  Yesterday, the Spring equinox, marked the festival of Navruz, the first day of spring and the beginning of the year in the Iranian calendar.  Navruz is a an ancient festival, believed to date as far back as the Zoroastrians – and elements of their fire rituals remain part of the celebrations to this day.

In Tajikistan Navruz is the start of a 6 day holiday where people return to their families and celebrate together with traditional festive dishes and symbolic fires. Throughout the country there are colourful, festive shows in villages and cities.  I have just come back from the elaborate celebrations in central Dushanbe where thousands of brightly dressed participants sang, danced and recited poetry.

Navruz celebration in Dushanbe
Navruz celebration in Dushanbe

Thankfully the weather this year was suitably spring like (in marked contrast to last year).  But looking across the city to the snow capped mountains reminded me that for many parts of this mountainous country it will remain winter for some time yet. I shall be going to one such area next week when I visit Khorog in the Pamirs (with mountains so high the area is known as “the roof of the world”).  In addition to attending the graduation ceremony of the University of Central Asia I hope to see and hear how things have moved on since the violence of last summer.

But before then, over this Navruz weekend I hope I will have a chance to witness one of the spectacular Buzkashi matches (a game where riders attempt to snatch a goat carcass and ride with it to the “goal” without anybody snatching it off them) that will be taking place around the capital.

Navruz Mubarak!

5 comments on “The Festival of Navruz – Spring Equinox”

  2. Dear Robin , THANK YOU for your prober & quick AW.So pls. allow me to add some lines of This “WILD MAN” – Song. (Released also as the only single,Monday, August 6th ´, 12, highest UK # 11 ,Germany ‘# 3 , N.I. # 5, Netherlands #3). It ´s on the track list of this “50 words…” album as song # 4 .I do hope, that it ´s fascinating/thrilling for you too..”…they call you an animal, the KANGCHEN JUNGA demon, wild man, METOH – KANGMIH. Lying in my tent , I can hear your cry round the PAMIR Mountans. You sound so lonely….while crossing the LHAKPA – LA sthg. jumped down from the rocks. In the remote GARO HILLS by DIPUMARAK we found footsteps in the snow….the Schoolmaster of DUSHANBE said he saw you by the TAJIK MONASTERY. You got up in the ROOF OF THE WORLD. Loping down a HIMALAYAN MOUNTAIN….from the Sheperds from of ANNAPURNA to MOUNT KAILASH and HIMACHAL PRADESH. Your not a langur monkey nor a brown bear. You ´re the wild man ….drowned near RONGBUK GLACIER. They will kill you…they will hurt you…from the TAJIK Mountains to the RINPOCHE of QINGHAI. From the SILK STREET ´till SHANGHAI…run away…so the SHERPAS and LAMAS say…
    Hope you like it a little bit…best wishes and “HAPPY EASTER”!, Hawyl faur – ond alles Gute eend a frohes Oschterfest für DicH ond Tajikistan.
    Ingo-Steven Wais, Schtuagard/Caerdydd

  3. Dear Robin, please don ‘t get me wrong but I ‘m a curious human being and always interested by learning languages. So, if you should find a little time ( it ‘s really not an a.s.a.p – thing !), could you explain me the meaning of Navruz Mubarak (…and why exclamation mark…) and equinox ? It would be great of you.
    By the way : On Kate Bush ‘s latest album “50 words for snow”, released at Nov. 21st. 2011 and peaked up the German charts at # 2 , you ‘ll find a song called “Wild Man “. It ś about the area of Tajikistan , the Himalaya and the Pamir Mountains (“…they will haunt you down from the snow of the roof of the world/they will kill you or you will get hurt…”). Have a nice weekend , hawyl faur + oin scheenes Wochenendle aus Schtuagard, Ingo-Steven

    1. Hi Ingo-Steven,

      Navruz Mubarak would translate as ‘Happy Navruz’ or, more specifically, ‘Happy New Year’. The equinox refers to the time of year when the Earth’s axis is not tilted towards or from the Sun, hence the beginning of spring in March, and autumn in September.

  4. Dear Robin, of course I don ‘t know the exactly meaning of ” NAVRUZ MUBARAK !”. But I suppose, that it belongs to this wonderful new year according to this Iranian Calender. It ‘s interesting for me for I didn ‘t know so far, that the Persian influence to Tajikistan is so great. Great is also and once again your story. Esp. the part about Khorong/Pamir, or simply the “Top of the World”.Interesting also your lines about these ” Zoroastrians “.
    So I really wished that I could join this festival.
    BW, Ingo-Steven Wais, Stuttgart

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