Often attended by high-level officials, people usually light a bonfire at night and gather around while singing, dancing and engaging in traditional games.Azerbaijan declared an official nine-day holiday to extensively celebrate Nevruz. Each street in Azerbaijan hosted a big bonfire on the nights of March 20 and 21, with people gathering around the fire to celebrate the beginning of Nevruz. This year President Ilham Aliyev lit a large bonfire near the Maiden Tower and then moved to the Seaside National Park, while people performing dances and handed out traditional Nevruz food to passersby.
Announcing an official, three-day nationwide holiday, Turkmenistan launched a sizeable Nevruz celebration at the Ahal Plateau, close to the capital of Ashgabat. Lighting huge bonfires, top government officials also participated in Nevruz celebrations. While people served Nevruz food to attendees, wrestling competitions were held to add color to the celebrations.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu sent Nevruz greeting cards to the foreign ministries of Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Iran and Albania on the occasion of Nevruz in which he conveyed messages of friendship and brotherhood.
Nevruz is celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox, March 21 or 20 depending on the year, as the beginning of the new year. Nevruz, also known as the festival of fire, has been widely celebrated for more than 3,000 years in Iran, the Balkans, the Black Sea Basin, the Caucasus, Central Asia and southeastern Turkey. The United Nations General Assembly officially recognized March 21 as the International Day of Nevruz last month.
