Title Image: Nowruz Feast- Villagers of Kurpuldek gather to celebrate Nowruz
From the deserts of Northwestern China to the shores of the Adriatic Sea many cultures have long celebrated the ancient Persian holiday of Nowruz. This festival usually observed on the 20th or 21st March marks the end of winter and the arrival of spring. Bringing together families, friends, and entire communities, Nowruz is filled with a variety of festivities and cultural traditions that are of great importance to the peoples of Central Asia
Entertainment: Horses and Scissors
The food and festivities of this holiday are as unique as the variety of people that celebrate this ancient tradition. Within Central Asia, each ethnic group has their own distinct cultural practices when celebrating Norwuz. In Tajik villages, children go from door to door on the eve of Nowruz presenting flowers to their neighbors in exchange for candy. Uzbeks, Kazakhs, and Kyrgyz play horse games such as Ulak Tartish also known as Buskashi in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.
In the small Kyrgyz village of Kurpuldek unexpected snow made horse games too dangerous. Instead, villagers passed the time while food was being prepared with a strange game similar to pin the tail on the donkey and the smashing of the piñata in Spanish cultures. In this game an individual is blindfolded and spun around then given a pair of scissors with which they must cut a dangling string from a rope to win a prize. A great source of laughter and anxiety, participants are heckled and given directions by the crowd.
Food: “To Each His Own”
Food is one of the most important pieces of this festival that provides a glimpse into the roots of each culture. Kazakhs usually prepare Nowruz-Kuzhe, a healthy dish made of seven grains and cereals similar to porridge that is eaten before and after the holiday. Uzbeks celebrate Nowruz with one of their national dishes, Kok-Samsa, a meat and vegetable pastry sprinkled with fresh mint that resembles a far healthier Hot Pocket.
The Kyrgyz people celebrate with an important national meat and noodle dish called Beshbarmak, which literally means 5 fingers. This tasty dish is essentially an entire boiled horse, cow, or lamb cooked until tender that is served with noodles and a mutton broth called Sorpa. The guest of honor generally the eldest is given the head with the prized cut of the cheek. Young boys are usually presented the legs and shoulders where as women are never given knucklebones in fear that consumption will cause them to be forever unwed.
Holiday: Family and Friends
Like most holidays throughout the world, Nowruz brings together families and friends. Within the small Kyrgyz village of Kurpuldek an hour and a half outside of Bishkek, one village elder spoke of the importance of this holiday. “Now our children and children’s children live all over, some in Bishkek, some in Russia. In my old age seeing relatives and members of my community is the most important thing. I am Kyrgyz and family means everything,” he said. Wither its Thanksgiving or Passover holidays not only celebrate unique traditions but also bring together loved ones, a reality that transcends perceived cultural differences.
