Nauryz - an ancient holiday
Nauryz – translated from Persian means “new day”. It is a time of transformation of nature and renewal of life. Nauryz is an ancient holiday. The famous historian, ethnographer Zhambyl Artykbayev expresses the opinion that Nauryz began to be celebrated in the Eurasian steppes not two or three thousand years ago, but twelve or thirteen thousand years ago." The great day of the nation is considered the New Year of the peoples of Central Asia. The Kazakh people celebrated Nauryz as the equinox, the beginning of a new day.
Nauryz is a traditional holiday that has been celebrated on the Kazakh land for a long time and is inherited from generation to generation. The Soviet government recognized this holiday as a “religious holiday” and banned the official celebration in 1926. According to Magzhan Zhumabayev, “Kazakh nauryz is not a religious holiday, but a holiday of life and household.” Nauryz, which began to be forgotten only after 62 years, returned to the Kazakh land in 1988 and began to be celebrated (Kazakh people, 2005: 21).
After gaining independence, by the decree of the first president of the Republic of Kazakhstan N.A. Nazarbayev on March 15, 1991, it received the official name “Nauryz meiramy – folk Spring Festival”. On the great day of the nation, Nauryz kozhe will be prepared. According to folk tradition, at least seven different feed substances are added to it, such as wheat, millet, meat, beans, milk, water, salt. On Nauryz holiday, altybakan is played and kui is performed. Traditional national games are played – kokpar, audaryspak, kures, kyz kuu, tenge ilu, etc.
Nauryz meiramy was granted the status of an international holiday in 2010 by the resolution of the UN General Assembly.
In 2016, UNESCO inscribed Nowruz on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on behalf of 12 countries – Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Turkey (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 28 November – 2 December 2016).
