STEM in Novruz holiday

A holiday of the Sun

Novruz is a public holiday in Azerbaijan. Traditionally, the head of state congratulates the public on Novruz, attends festive events and signs into law measures to improve public welfare. Concerts and special Novruz programmes are broadcast on TV.Over the last 30 years many of the Novruz traditions that were passed down orally have been written up and recorded on film and CD.Novruz in Azerbaijan has always been a spring holiday that celebrates the revival of nature, moral purity and equality. It was and remains primarily a holiday of the Sun and its earthly representation, Fire.
Another ancient Novruz tradition in Azerbaijan, maintained by young people, is to light bonfires on mountain tops at night and remain awake till morning. This custom is called Greeting the Sun and just before dawn the young people sing the song Godukhan in chorus. Just as it has over the millennia, Novruz will come to Azerbaijan again and again. People will light bonfires and when dawn breaks and the first rays of sun strike through, they will exclaim:

Another Novruz ritual related to the economy and stock-rearing is to tie a red ribbon, usually reserved for weddings, round the horns of bulls, cows and sheep.
At Novruz it is forbidden to kill horses, dogs and even snakes.
Flowers are at the heart of one of the best Novruz customs in Azerbaijan. People pick snowdrops, lilies of the valley and mint. They weave garlands from wild flowers and plait flowers into girls´ hair. It is forbidden to bring daffodils to the house.
Musical gatherings take place at Novruz. Minstrels and folk singers sing songs and public games are held – tightrope walkers demonstrate their skills, wrestlers test their strength and shows are performed in public squares. The comic show Kos-Kosa is performed across Azerbaijan at Novruz.
Every home should prepare different dishes at Novruz and they must include pilaff (Azerbaijan has more than 100 sorts of pilaff). There is a tradition of dying hard-boiled eggs and playing a game to see which is the harder.