Monday, March 23, 2015
Nauryz. An ancient celebration of the new year, symbolizing happiness, love and friendship for many Kazakhs and other peoples of Central Asia. Literally meaning “new day” in Persian, Nauryz is one of the most beloved Kazakh holidays, which starts on 21st of March, the spring equinox. It is not an accident that the month of March in Kazakh is also called “Nauryz”. Carrying with it thousands of years of tradition, the holiday was celebrated long before the arrival of Islam in Kazakhstan, and remains largely a secular celebration, except for Zoroastrians. On 30 September Nauryz was included into the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.