NOVRUZ BAYRAM

Otro ano que pasare aqui en Baku, esta vez, estare en la ciudad asi que les ire contando como lo hize el ano anterior sobre esta fiesta .

Novruz in Azerbaijan is known as Novruz Bayram. The festival is declared as an official public holiday (20 – 26^th March, 2013) and is marked with various traditions and rituals. Different delicacies are prepared and people dance to the tunes of folk bands.

Preparations for the festival begin about one month before. Each of the four weeks that follow is dedicated to one of the four elements and is celebrated on every Tuesday. These elements include water, fire, earth and wind. On every Tuesday during the four weeks, small bonfires and candles are lit. Children then jump over them as a tribute to fire-worshipping.

People get busy cleaning their homes, removing every bit of dirt from every corner and paint them new. They plant trees, paint eggs and make new clothes for every member of the family.

A large variety of national cuisine and national pastries, such as shakarbura and pakhlava, are made. Traditionally, wheat is fried along with kishmish (raisins) and nuts (govurga).

On the eve of Novruz, various dishes are laid on the table to make the coming year rich. The table is decorated with Samani placed in the center of a big silver or copper tray known as khoncha. Candles and dyed eggs are also placed equivalent to the number of members in the family. The table should include at least seven dishes. The entire family gathers around this table and consumes the savouries prepared.

The festive season ends on a spectacular and magnificent note. You can view people dancing publicly, contests of national sports and other entertainment .