I won't be whipping up any home-cooked meals this coming weekend. We fly to Diyarbakir, Turkey on Thursday, March 20th for the weekend in celebration of 'Newruz'. Whether you spell it Newruz/Novruz/Nowruz, you are sure to marathon eat delicious dishes that are traditionally served for this Persian New Years.
Check back Tues, March 25 for a full post and full spread of photos from Diyarbakir's Newruz Festival.
During my two years in Göyçay, Azerbaijan, I celebrated Novruz with my host family and community. Göyçay city actually has a fairly active 'Göyçay City' Facebook site in which it posts photos from the town itself, community festivals, etc.
Here is an excerpt from my Azerbaijan Peace Corps blog from March 2010:
Check back Tues, March 25 for a full post and full spread of photos from Diyarbakir's Newruz Festival.
During my two years in Göyçay, Azerbaijan, I celebrated Novruz with my host family and community. Göyçay city actually has a fairly active 'Göyçay City' Facebook site in which it posts photos from the town itself, community festivals, etc.
Here is an excerpt from my Azerbaijan Peace Corps blog from March 2010:
| This past weekend we celebrated the spring holiday Novruz. The word is actually Farsi and means ‘new day’ and has been celebrated as far back as 505 B.C. Prohibited but celebrated discreetly in Azerbaijan during its years as a Soviet republic, Novruz is now one of the most anticipated holidays to be openly marked in Azerbaijan. Preparation for Novruz begins one month prior to the holiday itself. Several major preparation days representing the four elements of nature take place on the four Tuesdays leading up to Novruz. The traditions are many and wonderfully different then any American traditions I’ve experienced; here are a few:  Pinching designs into shekerbura Families prepare special Novruz desserts to reenergize bodies and spirits after a cold winter. Pakhlava (baklava) and Shekerbura are the two Novruz desserts and no Novruz table is complete without them! (You may remember I sent pictures of the shekerbura process from New Years; reminded me of tamales-making.) This was a great holiday and I was thrilled to celebrate it with Rikki, my sitemate, and her wonderfully warm and kind Azerbaijani family. I know Rikki is eager to bring this holiday back to America with her and I would agree it is a terrific way to welcome spring and to bring families together to help awaken Mother Earth after her winter sleep. Loving springtime in Azerbaijan, Megan |
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