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Spring comes to Azerbaijan on March 20 at about 15.00

12 March 2009 12:29 (UTC +04:00)

He said there were changes in the spring coming every year depending on the lengthy of February (28 or 29 days). Usually spring comes to Azerbaijan on March 20 or 21, rarely in the night from March 21 to 22.
Chief of the folklore theory unit of the folklore Institute of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) Agaverdi Khalil told APA despite that spring comes to Azerbaijan in the afternoon on March 20, the people will celebrate holiday vigil on March 20. â€œThe spring coming is specified for the position of planets and equinox. According to the folklore traditions, March 20 is a holiday evening (vigil) by Hijri calendar and March 21 is the first day of New Year. This calendar has been used since Seljuk Malikshahâ€™s power in 11th centuryâ€.

Philology department chair of Baku State University professor Azad Nabiyev told APA the holiday evening is the day of equinox, the last year leaving. Nabiyev said Novruz Holiday has been celebrated since Ehemenis period 350 thousand years B.C. Its history reached back even the period of Zoroastrianism. Nabiyev said Novruz is a spring holiday related to the cropping culture. The folklorist said that people should put only sweets and pilaf on the festive table and should avoid the bitter foods like garlic and vinegar. â€œThe people should also avoid meat dishes as possible, because according to ancient beliefs if the people eat meat on the eve of holiday they will be lazybones throughout year. Seven dishes, particularly plenty of dairy foods and vegetables should be put on the table. Milky pilaf, cream, wheat halva, vegetable pilaf, sumach are necessary. The main attributes of the festive table are pakhlava, shekerbura and shorgogal, which symbolize stars, half moon and sun.