Spring Festival 2025
Date: March 20, 2025 (Thursday)
Country: Azerbaijan Public Holidays
Description
Spring Festival in Azerbaijan is called Novruz. It celebrates the start of spring and the new year. People prepare their homes, cook special foods, and get ready for warm weather and new beginnings.
Novruz takes place around March 20 and 21. Many events last several days before and after those dates. Schools and businesses often close so families can celebrate together with visits and outdoor fun.
Traditions include baking shekerbura, pakhlava, and shorgoghal. Families plant green wheat sprouts to show growth. People jump over fires to leave bad luck behind and welcome health and happiness.
The holiday is important because it brings people together. It honors nature, family, and hope for a fresh start. Novruz is both joyful and meaningful for many Azerbaijanis.
Traditions
Novruz is the Spring Festival in Azerbaijan. Families clean homes, buy new clothes, and decorate with səməni, green wheat sprouts that mean life and renewal. People set a festive table with sweets and symbolic foods to welcome the new year.
Cooking and sharing food is central. Common dishes are plov, paxlava, and şəkərbura. Neighbours and relatives visit, exchange gifts, and give children sweets or money. Folk music, dancing, and storytelling fill the streets and homes during the holiday.
People jump over bonfires to leave bad luck behind. Villages hold outdoor games, wrestling, and special meals. Cities like Baku add concerts and public events, while mountain areas keep older customs and local foods that vary by region.
Travel Tips
Novruz, the Spring Festival, is around March 20 to 21. Expect many banks and government offices closed, some shops or restaurants shut, and streets busy with markets, music, fire jumping and family gatherings. Travel is crowded before and after the holiday.
Book hotels and transport early, carry some cash, and use official taxis. Respect family and religious customs, dress modestly in small towns, and keep a safe distance from open fires or fireworks. Try festive foods, visit public performances, and enjoy the warm atmosphere safely.