Navruz is the spring new-year holiday of Central Asia and a number of neighbouring regions. It is marked on 21 March, at the time of the spring equinox, when day and night are almost equal in length. The name comes from Persian and means ‘new day’.

The holiday greets the end of winter and the start of the farming year. It belongs to a season rather than to any single country, which is why many peoples of the region share it. In Uzbekistan Navruz is a public holiday.

Sumalak and the festive table

The best-known dish of the season is sumalak, a thick, sweet paste cooked from sprouted wheat. The grain is sprouted in advance, and the dish is then cooked slowly for many hours in a large cauldron. Neighbours and relatives gather around it and take turns to stir, often through the night.

The festive table is laid with dishes made from the first greens of spring, alongside bread, sweets and dried fruit. Food is shared freely: a bowl of sumalak is usually carried to neighbours and friends. Hospitality matters as much as the menu.

Customs of the holiday

Navruz is a time for visiting. People call on parents, older relatives and neighbours, exchange good wishes and sit down to eat together. It is also a customary time to make peace after quarrels and to help those in need.

Before the holiday many neighbourhoods hold a hashar, a shared clean-up carried out by the residents themselves. People tidy streets and courtyards and plant young trees and flowers. The idea is to meet the new season in a clean and cared-for place.

On the day itself towns and villages hold public festivities. There is folk music and dancing, and parks and squares host fairs, traditional games and wrestling bouts. Many people wear national dress for the occasion.

A shared heritage

Navruz is included in UNESCO’s list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. The entry is a joint one, put forward by a group of countries where the holiday is kept. That reflects its nature: a tradition older than present-day borders and common to many cultures.

For a visitor, the simplest way to take part is to accept an invitation. Try the sumalak, return the good wishes and join the festivities in the nearest park or square. The greeting is simple too: wish people a happy Navruz.