Spring update

Among the official holidays of our state there is a special one - Novruz. It was not invented in Drakonberg, it is an ancient tradition of the land and the people where our state is now physically located. And since this holiday is closely connected not only with nature, but also with the elements, our people happily accepted this holiday as their own and celebrated it long before the creation of the VGD itself.

Why do we love and appreciate this holiday so much? What's so special about it anyway? And when is it celebrated? We will try to answer all these questions in this publication.

Novruz is directly related to an astronomical phenomenon: the spring equinox. And in theory, it is the spring equinox that should be considered the true New Year. After all, if you look at it, spring is the morning of the natural day. Summer is day, autumn is evening, and winter is dark and cold night.

But it so happened that people live according to a conventional calendar, not tied to nature in any way. And the New Year is celebrated at a completely different time. But the spring equinox is also a holiday in many countries to one degree or another. Including here in Azerbaijan, where Drakonberg is located.

The very form of celebration is quite universal among all nations: it is jumping over a fire as the apotheosis of the holiday. And, of course, a festive table, on which there is a plate with sprouted wheat and numerous baked sweets, nuts and candies. Jumping over a fire symbolizes purification, and sweets on the table symbolize abundance and joy. The greenery of wheat sprouts reminds us of the beginning of real natural spring: it’s time to wake up!

But fire is only one of the natural elements to which the Novruz holiday is dedicated. There are also the elements of water, earth and air. And certain rituals are also dedicated to them. But it so happens that in Drakonberg only Novruz itself is celebrated, and not the 4 Tuesdays before it, each of which is dedicated to one element. It seems to us that stretching one holiday over a whole month is still not entirely comfortable.

But Novruz is celebrated on a grand scale in Drakonberg! This includes a festive table, burning candles, and songs until late at night. Although, unlike the usual New Year, which begins at 12 o'clock at night, the New Year according to the natural calendar comes with the first sunrise after the equinox. This year the equinox occurred on March 20 at 18:41. This means that the New Year came on March 21 at dawn, namely at 6:32 a.m. local time.

We wish a Happy New Year to all readers of our site and, in general, to all friends of Drakonberg! Be happy and prosper!