MICROCOSM OF THE EAST

There are holidays in the culture of different peoples when everyone feels part of a greater whole which could not exist without any of its components. Novruz is one such holiday for Azerbai-janis - a holiday as old as the Azerbaijani land itself, which without exaggeration can be called a symbol of Azerbaijani culture. The traditions of meeting the New Year, the astronomic start of spring on the day of the spring equinox, are common to almost all the peoples of the East but with some minor local differences. The day that begins the year is in the East a microcosm - a single kindred world, symbolizing common roots and the one beginning from which man came.

Novruz - the holiday and its traditions - could be a subject for separate academic research. History today still cannot say exactly where this holiday came from and which Eastern people can claim copyright on it. When did people first begin to celebrate it? Maybe one of our own scholars or one from abroad will one day look into this fascinating research topic, but if everything were brought together that is already known about the holiday it would make an impressive treatise, which would give rise to even more questions than answers. When they talk about the history of Novruz today, many people quote medieval eastern sources. Valuable information about the origin of Novruz and the ways that it spread amongst the peoples of the East can be found in the work of 11th century Persian historian Abu Rayhan-al Biruni (973-1048) the Chronology of Ancient Nations, the Ma'sudi Canon and At-Takhafim, in Omar Khayyam's (1045-1131) anthology Novruznama and in 9th century Persian historian Nizam ul-Mulk's Siyasatnama (Book on Politics). 

History and philosophy

The origin of the Novruz holiday is more often than not associated with the oldest monotheist religion, Zoroastrianism, and its creator, Zoroaster/Zarathustra. In the 1st millennium BC the holiday acquired its name, Novruz, when the sacred texts of the Avesta were created, the great book of Zoroastrianism. For the Zoroastri-ans a happy celebration of the arrival of the New Year was an obligation for everyone, a powerful weapon and important moment in the struggle against world evil. The New Year rituals of the Zoroastri-ans, fire and other customs, although they have lost much of their religious meaning, have survived to our day. In the Zoroastrian value system everything that creates and gives life, supports, protects and enriches it, is considered to be good. This applies to the forces of nature beneficial to mankind. Earth, water, the sky, animals, plants - all this is good, the procreation of Ahura Mazda (the spirit of goodness). Fairness and justice, peace, health and beauty, joy and happiness belong to the forces of light. Everything that threatens life, destroys order, creates chaos has been created by the evil, hostile spirit, Angra Mainyu (Ahriman), which is in eternal darkness and is the age-old enemy of Ahura Mazda. Zoroaster introduced many rituals to glorify religion's creations of light. Novruz became the most important of them, a holiday in honour of the God of Wisdom and the holy flame during the spring equinox. By joyfully celebrating, thinking and talking more about goodness and light, doing good deeds, increasing happiness and earthly wellbeing, people support the cosmic balance and fight the forces of darkness which hate any manifestation of life. Accord-ing to folklore, in his desire to destroy the world Ahriman sends 12 evil spirits to Earth to wreck 12 colonies where the world of goodness reigns. At the end of the year, when the world is still on the edge of destruction and evil spirits are celebrating their victory, people drive them out with their joy, laughter, dances and singing and restore the colonies in their initial state. On the 13th day of the year the devil again sends his servants to destroy the world. 

There are other theories too about the origin of Novruz. According to one of them, which is supported by many scholars, the history of the holiday goes back to ancient Mesopotamia, home to famous centres of culture - Sumeria, Babylon and Assyria. In Babylon New Year was celebrated on the 21st of the month of Nisan (March-April) and the holiday lasted 12 days; every day had its own rituals, ideas and entertainments. In Persian Novruz means "new day" and in Turkic countries the spring holiday used to be called Turan. To this day the Chuvash call the holiday Tura; it is mentioned in ancient Chinese manuscripts and the Turkish epic Ergenekon, created 3,000 years ago. Turkish writer and researcher Serhat Kunar thinks that the name Novruz is connected with the Biblical Noah or Nukha. The scholar is sure that before the flood Noah had three arks made. He took his youngest son Japheth with him, sent his oldest son Shem on the second vessel and his middle son Ham on the third. Kunar thinks that the first ark is on the peak of Tien Shan and the other two are on Mount Judi and Mount Elgon in Turkey and Africa respectively. 

In the West and Russia Novruz is often called the Muslim New Year. This holiday is actually much older than the Muslim religion as such; moreover the Islamic calendar is lunar and consists of 354 full days and it begins with Qurban bayrami or Id al-Fitr (the Feast of the Sacrifice). Since the lunar calendar does not correspond with the solar one, i.e. with the period in which the Earth revolves around the Sun, Qurban bayrami can fall in summer, winter, spring or autumn. Moreover, the historic roots (the pagan and Zoroastrian past) and the natural-philosophical essence of the holiday contradict Islam, the essence of which is strict monotheism and no worshipping of the forces of nature.

Classical Islamic teaching does not make compromises with the pagan heritage. This uncompromising stance is taken towards the pagan traditions of both the Arabs themselves and the non-Arabs. There is no place for paganism in classical Islamic teaching. This assertion is backed up by numerous examples from Islamic primary sources and history, including on the issue of the compatibility of pagan holidays and traditions with Islam. The most authoritative collections of the Hadith of the Prophet Muham-mad make it clear that the Islamic world view does not accept holidays from the pre-Islamic era.

Novruz was banned for the first time in the 7th century, when Azerbaijan came under the rule of the Arab Caliphate, but the ban did not work - the roots and traditions were too strong. The Bolsheviks were the next to try to ban Novruz - an official ban lasted until the collapse of the union, but nevertheless for many years Novruz was celebrated in every Azerbaijani family, thereby maintaining the age-old traditions. Although in the late 1950s, early 1960s, during the general thaw in the USSR, this holiday was officially celebrated in Baku on the initiative of Sixali Qurbanov, the Novruz holiday soon fell during the month of Muharram and the clergy called for it to be cancelled. The political situation in the USSR then changed and Novruz was again de facto banned. Only with independence has Novruz gained the status of a state holiday in Azerbaijan. 

Many faces of Novruz

As well as Azerbaijan and the Turkic peoples of Russia, the peoples of Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Turk-menistan, Kyrgyzstan and even India consider Novruz a part of their culture. India is now home to the Parsees who for millennia have worshipped fire and made pilgrimages to the land of fire, Azerbaijan. 

It is interesting but logical that the ancient peoples of the world should have celebrated New Year at the time that nature revives, as a rule in March. The instruction to consider the New Year to be in the month of Aviv (i.e. ears of corn) which corresponds to our March/April can be found in the laws of Moses. In Germany, France and England the New Year was moved to January only in the 16th to 18th centuries. The Romans, who also celebrated the New Year at the start of March, introduced the new (Julian) calendar in 46 BC at the wish of Julius Caesar. The month of January was named in honour of one of the Roman gods - the two-headed Janus. In China New Year was celebrated at the end of the winter period right up until the overthrow of the monarchy in 1911.

The year also began in Rus on 1 March. But in 1492 Grand Prince Ivan Vasilyevich III confirmed an edict of the Moscow council to consider the start of the ecclesiastical and civil year to be 1 September, when tributes, taxes and other rents were collected. In 1699 Peter I decreed that 1 January should be considered the start of the year. 

The Novruz holiday is connected with spring, the renewal of nature, the arrival of warmer days and the start of agricultural work. The significance of this time of year in the lives of people from ancient times has given rise to many customs and rituals, connected with magic, nature and fertility cults and beliefs in the death and resurrection of nature. Preparations for the holiday practically begin a month in advance. The four Tuesdays preceding the holiday are called Su carsanba (Water Tuesday), Odlu carsanba (Fire Tuesday), Torpaq carsanba (Earth Tuesday) and Axir carsanba (Last Tuesday). According to popular belief, on the first Tuesday water was renewed and still waters began to move, while on the second Tuesday fire was renewed and on the third earth. On the fourth Tuesday the wind opened the buds of trees and spring came. Man is also thought to consist of four elements - water, earth, wind and fire, each of which have a physiological and metaphysical meaning.

There are other very interesting customs associated with water and fire. The attitude to water as a means of cleansing is based on its real properties of washing away dirt. One of the traditions associated with water is that of jumping over flowing water to wash away the sins of the past year. The practice of lighting holiday bonfires on the streets, the roofs of houses and in high places is widespread while jumping over a bonfire on the last Tuesday before Novruz is a must for everyone. You should either jump seven times over one fire or once over seven fires. In ancient times a young boy would light the bonfire using a flint. These fires were considered pure. 

Every year sweet things are prepared to accompany the holiday: sheker-bura - rich pies with a sweet nut and spice filling, shor choreyi - layered pastry with a spicy filling, bishi - layered, sweet, buttery pastry, Quba, Ganca and Baku pakhlava - layered pastry with a nut filling, feseli - buttery pastry, kulcha - rich spicy sweet bread and halva from sprouting wheat. 

In 1637 German traveller Adam Oleari visited Samaxi. The Novruz celebrations made such a great impression on him that he described them in detail in the log of his journey: "The astrologer often rose from the table and with his gnomon observed the height of the sun, looked at his clock and waited for the moment when the sun would reach the equal point between day and night. When the awaited minute came, he announced loudly: 'New Year has begun.' Cannon were fired immediately, horns were blown on the walls and towers of the city, nagara drums were played and the spring holiday began."