The following is a post by HM Ambassador Robin Ord-Smith
For a foreigner this is a very special time to be in Tajikistan. Yesterday, the Spring equinox, marked the festival of Navruz, the first day of spring and the beginning of the year in the Iranian calendar. Navruz is a an ancient festival, believed to date as far back as the Zoroastrians – and elements of their fire rituals remain part of the celebrations to this day.
In Tajikistan Navruz is the start of a 6 day holiday where people return to their families and celebrate together with traditional festive dishes and symbolic fires. Throughout the country there are colourful, festive shows in villages and cities. I have just come back from the elaborate celebrations in central Dushanbe where thousands of brightly dressed participants sang, danced and recited poetry.
Thankfully the weather this year was suitably spring like (in marked contrast to last year). But looking across the city to the snow capped mountains reminded me that for many parts of this mountainous country it will remain winter for some time yet. I shall be going to one such area next week when I visit Khorog in the Pamirs (with mountains so high the area is known as “the roof of the world”). In addition to attending the graduation ceremony of the University of Central Asia I hope to see and hear how things have moved on since the violence of last summer.
But before then, over this Navruz weekend I hope I will have a chance to witness one of the spectacular Buzkashi matches (a game where riders attempt to snatch a goat carcass and ride with it to the “goal” without anybody snatching it off them) that will be taking place around the capital.
Navruz Mubarak!