For Azerbaijanis, it’s a nod to their fiery past
Reminders of Azerbaijan’s Zoroastrian past are everywhere in the country, whether in its fire temples, burning hillsides or flame-shaped skyscrapers. Although ‘Novruz’ was stifled here under the Soviet regime, families continued to celebrate in secret, and today, it’s the most joyful date on the Azeri calendar. Festivities start early — the four Tuesdays in the run-up to Novruz celebrate the four elements: water, fire, earth and air.
Throughout this period, families gather to make traditional pastries like paklava, shekerbura and goghal (representing the stars, moon and sun, respectively), as well as savoury staples like plov (a saffron-infused meat and rice dish), dolma (vine leaves stuffed with lamb, rice and herbs) and fragrant kebab.
Like Iran, there’s also a table of seven ‘s’ items, which are all centred around the semeni (shoots of wheat tied together with a red ribbon). The holiday is particularly loved by children here, who pass the time by throwing hats at neighbours’ doors before hiding and hoping to return to a hat full of sweets and chocolate.
The country is taken over by street festivals involving traditional song and dance, tightrope-walking and the comical characters of Kecel and Kosa, who theatricalise the struggles between winter and spring. The largest festival of this kind is held in the capital, Baku. Other Azeri traditions include painting eggs; jumping over roaring bonfires; fortune-telling to foresee if and when girls will get married; and visiting the graves of relatives