Nowruz: New Year, Spring Festival and National Holiday

Blessed winners: people in Kazakhstan believe Nowruz brings renewal and good luck. That is why the houses are cleaned in advance to protect their inhabitants from illness and misfortune. During the festival itself, there are competitions between groups of men and women. If the women win, it is considered a blessing; if the men win, a bad year is in store – according to popular belief.
People in Kazakhstan believe Nowruz brings renewal and good luck. During the festival there are competitions between groups of men and women (photo: Ahlia Raimbekova/AA/picture-alliance)

In Persian and Central Asian cultures, Nowruz has theIn Persian and Central Asian cultures, Nowruz has the same significance as Christmas in Europe, Thanksgiving in the USA or the New Year in China. The celebration is preceded by days of preparation.