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Azerbaijan celebrates third Tuesday with spring wind

08 March 2016 [13:25] - TODAY.AZ

/By Azernews/

By Amina Nazarli

Festive passions keep rising as each passing day brings us closer to the loveliest holiday that takes special place in the calendar of many Azerbaijanis -- Novruz Bayram, symbolizing the coming of spring and awakening of the nature.

Celebrations of festive Novruz, which is marked on March 21 begin a month before the actual holiday with four natural elements such as Su Chershenbesi (Water Tuesday), Od Chershenbesi (Fire Tuesday) Hava Chershenbesi (Wind Tuesday) and Torpaq Chershenbesi (Earth or Last Tuesday).

Two of these celebrations have already left behind and the third magic Tuesday -- Wind, when the element of air awakens and winds begin to blow is celebrated on March 8.

To the point some region of Azerbaijan consider Torpaq Chershenbesi as the third Tuesday, while Hava Chershenbesi as the last Tuesday.

Atesh Ahmadli, the research fellow of the Folklore Institute of ANAS explains this by the fact that climatic conditions in the country’s region are different.

“In ancient times the life of farmers and herdsmen used to be closely associated with the geographical conditions of the area. The climatic conditions in various regions of Azerbaijan were different thus making the observations different as well. Somewhere winds began to blow before the earth was warmed, and somewhere on the contrary.

As in previous Chershenbes, in Wind Tuesday people light bonfires and jump over it regardless of the age and gender.

As all four Tuesdays, Wind Tuesday has also its own traditions, including the traditional song, "Yel baba" ("Father of Wind"). "Yel baba" is related with the belief of ancient people in the God of Wind. Moreover, "Yel baba" ceremonies are linked with the traditions of farming.

Another tradition is that on this Tuesday everyone who wants to know whether or not his or her wish will come true stands under a willow tree and calls "Yel baba". If the wind blows and the branches touch the ground, it is believed that the dream will come true.

Third Tuesday before Novruz identifies the awakening of nature, the beginning of spring field work, and the arrival of a new growing season. Therefore, people grow an integral part of Novruz -- Semeni, a wheat germ, which symbolizes life, wealth, health as well as well-being.

It is also the first sign of the coming of spring and almost all families in Azerbaijan celebrate the holiday with Semeni on the festive table. It is some kind of ritual, which is usually accompanied with the song "Semeni, save me and I will grow you every year."

Novruz, included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, has been celebrated by more than 300 million people from diverse ethnic communities and religious backgrounds for thousands of years.

The menu in the festive varies a great deal from region to region, but for Novruz abundant meals are prepared and ritually seven objects are laid on the tables.

Children enjoy this holiday very much, since they place hats at the door of their neighbors in anticipation of nuts and Novruz sweets - such as shekerbura, pakhlava and gogal, as well as colored eggs

URL: http://www.today.az/news/society/148623.html

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