Tahir Amiraslanov     Doctor and Professor

Novruz is the MosT favorite holiday in Azerbaijan. There are numerous legends, stories and facts about the history of this holiday. All this makes it  possuble to draw the conclusion that Novruz is the most antient holiday in the world? which is celebrated during the spring equinox/ All this is associated with "salvation" from winter and death and revival and "rebirth"...

The samani is one of the main attributes and symbols of Novruz. it is impossible to imagine Novruz without the samani. The samani is a green sapling made from wheat and barley. 

As you know, those who founded Novruz and at the same time, fire worshipers displayed special respect for the food that was served during those ceremonies. Mary Boice wrote in her book “Zoroastrians: their religious beliefs and practices”: it is necessary to prepare the food very carefully, keep the place clean and eat it with even greater respect because the food was made from various gifts of nature.” it is known that the first helper of a cook is fire.

The Zoroastrian prayers dedicated to fire (atash Niyam) mention morning and evening meals.

Fire, which was the first helper of a cook, should be treated as a living creature.

Touching on such an attitude to fire, Plutarch wrote in his book “Table Talk”: just like an organism, fire also goes out in two ways: first, it is put out and second, it goes out itself. in order to maintain the holy fire, they tried not to let it stop burning in both cases. Fire is in motion and feeds itself (i.e. it starts burning), and like living creatures, it brightens everything with its light. The power of fire becomes clear, and when you put it out, it cries and defends itself as a living creature (if it is threatened by death). For its features, fire is more like a living creature.

One of the most delicious and respected Novruz meals is the samani meal, which was prepared in the honor of the great Spirit of Kindness for hope (intent) or as a gift (charity). in order to prepare this meal, the samani is grown separately. Thus, if the seeds sprouted and if those sprouts were stuck to each other, they did not let the samani grow and cut it into small pieces. They mashed those sprouts with washed and smooth river stone and extracted their juice. as a result, white limpid liquid was produced. The liquid was poured into a pot, placed on a fire after some water was added to it, and left on low heat for two or three nights after it started to boil. During this period, the color of the liquid was always monitored. Toward the end, the liquid became reddish. after that, the kernel of a nut and walnut (smashed to pieces) was added to it. (The similarity with the technology of preparing bakmaz and n arsharab also proved that the recipes of these dishes come from azerbaijanis). if it snows when a meal from the samani is cooked, snow was added to the samani juice instead of water in order to make the meal more delicious. another meal made from the samani (relatively limpid) is called “gubba samani”. Sprouts are covered. The finished samani is mashed in a mortar with a pestle to extract its juice. The liquid is placed on a fire after some flour is added to it. after the flour is mixed with the samani, it is filtered and poured into special dishes.

The finished gubba is sweet and pleasant. Special ceremonial halva is also made from the samani.

To this end, wheat sprouts are mashed with a stone in a wooden dish after they intertwine and juice is extracted. Thus, juice is made. They bring wheat flour from seven homes and mix it with samani juice. as a result, limpid dough is made. after that, the dough is placed in a pot together with butter, and the pot is placed on a fire and mixed until the halva is ready. Before the halva is ready, shelled almonds (nuts are also possible), mashed carnations, pepper, walnuts and other spices are added to it. Doshab (bakmaz) is added to this mass, which is cut into pellets, and the kernel of an almond is placed in the middle. The pellets, in the middle of which the kernel of an almond is placed, herald abundance and wealth next year. after that, those pellets are distributed among relatives and neighbors.

according to another recipe, the wheat (or barley) are washed with cold water and soaked in juice pots (now in processing containers) for three days during three weeks. When the seeds swell, the water is filtered, the swollen seeds are placed on a 1cm-thick flat stove and covered with gauze. They are kept in a warm and well-lit room for three or four days, and water is sprinkled on them sometimes. When the samani grows and gives 1.5cm roots, it is mashed in a wooden mortar. The mass is mixed with water and filtered three times. The water and thick mass, which is filtered three times, are placed in separate dishes every time and not mixed with each other. The pot is placed on the stove, and butter is placed in it depending on its size. The edges and interior of the pot are treated with butter. Then, the first water of the samani is poured, mixed with dough and properly stirred. When this mass starts to boil, the second water is poured, and when it starts to boil, the third water is added and prepared on low heat. When the samani is ready, it looks brown and has a good odor. When bubbles appear on its surface and burst, it is taken away from the stove. in order not to let it burn, 10-12 smooth river beds are placed inside the pot.

a. Orazov writes about another dish prepared from the samani: “Two or three kilos of wheat are kept in water for a while. When the seeds start to swell, they are placed in metal dishes (bowls) and treated with warm water every day. When the plant grows and reaches a height of 10-15cm, it is mashed together with its root with a stone in order to extract its juice. The juice is filtered several times and left to settle. Samani juice and 3 kg of flour are placed into a pot, placed on a fire and stirred until it boils. The samani is boiled for a long time, and sometimes, this operation continues all day till after midnight. if it snows when it is being made, a bucket of snow is added to that pot. according to some information, when sailors start a long journey, they take wheat with them. Then, they grow the wheat, mix it with honey and eat it, and thus, the body receives extra vitamins. Since the concentration of d-Tocopherol, i.e. vitamin E in the samani is high, halva made from the samani is used as an antioxidant. The technology of food and drinks made from the samani is related to the production of starch from grain crops, especially wheat. it is interesting that this technology and products made from starch belong to Turks and azeris. Starch was used to make sujug, palta, some types of halva, paluda, lokum, zilviyya and so on. in order to get starch, they initially mashed wheat samani, which had shoots, but was not green yet and drained its water through a skimmer, colander or sieve. The water was filtered through a piece of linen or cotton cloth. The starch that was left on the cloth was dried in the sun and kept in sealed containers. according to the British scientist Mary Priscilla, in Europe starch was used for food. Until the second half of the 19th century, the germans called starch “haarpuder”, which means “hair powder”. Only in the second half of the 19th century, did maize starch enter European cuisine. This proves that today’s starched European food comes from the East or the Turks. The samani starch obtained during Novruz is not dried and is used in the liquid form. Before moving on to the preparation of other ceremonial meals, it is necessary to point out that most of the meal in our cuisine (including ceremonial meals) are cooked mainly in coppertin pots and tiyans (big deep frying pans). These pots and dishes are the highest success of scientific and culinary experience in world cuisine. The thing is that copper dishes and pots are very energy-efficient. Copper heats up very quickly and passes more heat to the food than other metals. adding tin to the exterior and interior of the pot ensures that the heat inside the pot is distributed equally. On the other hand, experience shows that copper ions, which enter the body with food and liquid, are one of the main causes of longevity.

During the Novruz holiday, colored eggs are definitely served on the table. Chicken eggs decorate the table during the holidays of numerous nations. in almost all cosmogonic myths around the world, the egg is shown as the basis of life and a symbol of transition from the inanimate to the animate world. it is believed that if a sterile woman sees an egg in her dream, she will soon become pregnant. Eggs painted in red symbolize the sun. Eggs pained in green symbolize vegetation and in blue – the sky. The egg is not just food during the holiday. along with decorating the table, it also plays the role of a toy in games played by children and young people (for example, “breaking of eggs” during the Easter). azerbaijanis call this game an “egg fight”. The word yumurta (egg) is derived from the world yumru (round), and during holidays, the egg is compared to the earth and land. information about the round shape of the earth has come to us from the Sumerians.

Scientists consider us to be direct descendants of the Sumerians. incidentally, the traditional philosophy of Novruz provides a w onderful answer to the question “What is older – chicken or the egg?”. That’s to say the Novruz festival proves that the egg is eternal as a symbol of transition from the inanimate to the animate world. The thing is that on the one hand, the egg is inanimate and on the other, animate, that’s to say it is a form between the inanimate and the animate and comes before the animate. The main purpose of the egg fight is to prove this. They break the egg in order to check whether it is inanimate or animate. apart from that, the earth (land) is more eternal than anything else, and it is the most primary and greatest egg.

Another ceremonial meal during the Novruz holiday is “arishta”. Before the arishta, which is cooked from solid dough, is made, it is roasted in a saj (an iron disk for baking bread).

On Novruz, meals made from the arishta were also served on the table. The arishta is one of the most ancient azeri meals. it is believed that it was called arishta because it looked like thin threads. By analogy, parallel threads in frames on which carpets are woven are called “arish” and perpendicular threads are called arkhaj threads. in general, the arishta, noodles, laksha and other products and dishes come from Turkic cuisine. The fact that halva made from limpid rice dough in the form of thin threads is called rishta halva and that we call shoots coming from growing plants in the form of thin threads “risha” shows that arishta, arish threads, rishta halva and the word risha have the same root. Perhaps, the arishta was considered to be a symbol of abundance as it looked like samani shoots.

During the holiday, seven things whose names should definitely be - gin with the letter “s” are placed on the table. For example: samani, su (water), sujug, sankak (type of na - tional bread), siyig (porridge), sud (milk) and suzma (a type of yoghurt). Sour or hot food is not served on the table on Novruz.

On Novruz, the number “seven” is repeated several times and is regarded as holy. Even in Zoroas - trian times, the single god Hormuz had six more faces, which made up “seven” together. apart from that, according to ancient philo - sophical beliefs, the universe has “seven” directions, including time. Six Wednesdays and one Novruz make up “seven” together. First and foremost, the holiness of the num - ber “seven” is related to the ancient azerbaijanis’ belief in “white light”, which was worshiped as a god. “White light” priests repeatedly witnessed the “seven” faces of god in certain circumstances and they determined this figure. Then in na - ture, they observed that the sound itself was also made up of “seven” parts. There are seven main sounds (notes), seven tastes, seven scents and seven senses of touch while eating food. The biblical phrase that jesus climbed 28 steps four times – seven each time – probably shows that jesus conveyed his informa - tion through seven colors, seven sounds, seven scents and seven tastes and influenced subconscious in this way. Thus, it is necessary to take into account the pleasant influence of the number “seven” during the holiday.

The Novruz table of azerbaijanis who lived on the sea shore was decorated by another meal. as a sign of respect for the sea, which was the “protector” and “breadwinner” of peoples living on the sea shore, it was necessary to serve an omul, either in full or a piece of it, on the table during Novruz. Every family definitely serves pilaf, often milk pilaf. Pilafs made from sadri, khan’s rice, ag giljig, gara giljig and other types of rice decorate our tables. Every Wednesday has its pilaf. On the first Wednesday, sour roasted pilaf or pomegranate sour pilaf is served. On the second Wednesday, pilaf with beans or lentil is served. On the third Wednesday, pilaf with roasted greens and pilaf with dills is served. On the fourth Wednesday, on Novruz, sweet pilaf is served.

On Novruz, people love to eat both milk products and dishes made of milk. This tradition has come to us from ancient times. a priest who lived in the 9th century recorded: “in order to start this day (New Year – T. a.), there should definitely be some milk and fresh cheese on the table together with other things.”

The fact that white pilaf, white cheese, white milk, white sweets, white sugar and sugar candies, and the wearing of white clothes during Novruz previously is related to the white light, which was regarded as a god previously.

İn general, monotheistic religions say that the Most High created light before everything else and lit the world. after light was created, bodies related to it (corpuscle), waves, time, space and directions of light and other things were created.

During Novruz, people mostly tried to place as much sweets on the table as possible. From this point of view, Novruz showed what every housewife was capable of. in cities and villages, they prepared pakhlava with walnuts, almonds and nuts. in Sheki, pakhlava was cooked from web-looking networks made from rice dough. guba pakhlava was also made on the basis of similar technologies. Usually, the Novruz table is decorated with sweets, sweet gogal, puff doughnut, cakes, shaker bura, sweet bread, sujug, bastig, alana, nazli, richal, hulgum, rusta, nuts, walnuts, and dried fruits. Children’s most favorite dessert on the Novruz table is “shah food” - walnuts mixed with sugar powder. information about this is also available in ancient sources. in the past, iranian shahs ate sugar and walnuts along with other meals on holiday mornings. Before sugar production, walnuts were eaten with honey. Then they cooked this mixture together, making goznak. They also served frozen fruits on the table. in azerbaijan, people knew how to freeze fruit and carry it for long distances in ancient times. This is proved by recipes for making ice-cream and the ability to keep the temperature low by mixing salt and ice in ancient times. The historian ibrahim afandi (1574-1694?) recorded that in 1618, Shah abbas sent eight camel caravans to Sadrazamin, carrying frozen fruit, halva, various fruits, pomegranate, flour, rice and lumps of sugar. Novruz sherbets were also served on the table. Fresh fruits such as watermelons, apples, pomegranates kept in the attic, grapes kept in liquorice, sweets, almonds, colored eggs, soaked albukhara (a special sort of dried plum) and decorative wooded spoons were also placed on the Novruz table. The samani was placed in the middle of the table. apart from the aforesaid, dried mulberries, unabi, fried peas, raisins, oranges and other fruits were served on the table, and the samani was placed in the middle of a tray with colored eggs, walnuts, nuts, grapes, dried fruit and sweets around it. The famous georgian researcher, M. i. Tkeshelova, wrote about khoncha (a tray with sweets and fruits) in his book “azerbaijani Tatars”: On this day (on Novruz), full big wooden trays and khonchas full of sweets are placed on the tablecloths laid on the floor in everyone’s house. There are fewer meat dishes. after eight o’clock in the evening, they visit each other. apart from that, khoncha is also used as a present. as a rule, they take the khoncha and the gift and return the dish empty. in response, they place their own holiday gifts on that dish and return it. They won’t let you go before treating you to sweets, walnuts or nuts. Every family prepares holiday meals and sweets not just for themselves. any person passing in the street can enter any house (even if he does not know them) and sit together with members of the family at the table. They welcome that person. at the height of the party, someone knocks on the door. You open the door, and there is no-one there, but there is a hat or a sack in the doorway. This custom is called “leaving a hat at the door” or “leaving a sack at the door”.

They put gifts, sweets, colored eggs, walnuts, nuts and other presents in the hat or sack. But they do not return the sack or the hat empty, and this event happens repeatedly overnight. in rural areas, an empty sack is hung through the chimney or window by a cord. as a rule, noone returns these sacks empty. a short while later, Kosa comes, sings a song and wants his gifts. Boys dressed in women’s clothes also enter the courtyard. They do not go back empty-handed, are definitely given a gift and seen off with kind words. Those who engage in charity during the holiday arrange weddings of compassion for lone young people and help them to marry. The meaning of these ceremonies is that people will live in peace and concord with those around them in the new year, share their bread with them and sincerely help those who need it. at the same time, every person knows that if he needs something, they will definitely come to his aid at any moment. Kindness is never forgotten and always comes back. During the holiday, various colored sherbets and tea are served along with pilaf, of course. Tea came to these places by the great Silk road, and this was already mentioned in 9th century sources.

But tea is also believed to have come to our country in the first century. 9th century sources say that there was a tea house in Tabriz. Thus, Novruz is a symbol of charity from a spiritual point of view. Novruz is a holiday that celebrates the harvest, recommends spiritual purity to people and promotes kindness and charity. You cannot raise your voice at the Novruz table. it is necessary to be kind and say pleasant words to each other. Ethics should be observed at the table. Previously, everyone sat around the table on the floor and reclined on pillows. a tablecloth was placed inside the circle and all meals and sweets were placed on it. if bread was served on the table earlier, it had to be eaten, because it was believed that nothing better and more delicious than bread can be served on the table. On the holiday, the whole family was supposed to gather at home and celebrate the New Year together. Previously, when the oldest son of the family or one of his cousins entered the house in festive clothes, aromatic water was poured on his hands. Shots were fired in the air in the streets when the New Year arrived. The host or the oldest person announces the sign for the new year.

This fact is definitely taken into account and food eaten by the animal that symbolizes the year is served on the table. For example, the horse likes sugar and grapes, the rat likes wheat, the snake likes milk, etc.

Nothing can be thrown out from the table. Even ordinary crumbs should be eaten. it is believed that a person who throws out food from the table refuses his destiny. if you celebrate Novruz in a journey or in the woods, do not take away the food left on the table and leave it to animals as a “gift”…

So, Happy Novruz!