Celebration

Nowroz means the beginning of the spring, and is celebrated as New Year in my culture-Turkish culture. It originally comes from Shamanism, but even though Turkish culture adopted Islam in the 11th century, we still celebrate it and it has become a part of our cultural festivals.

Every March 21st, we celebrate Nowruz in many ways. First of all, two-three days before Nowruz, we make a big deal of cleaning, painting our houses, washing all of the washable stuff, because it is a symbol of new beginning.

Secondly, we dress a bit differently on this holiday. We all wear a doppa (hat)and traditional dress.  Girls braid their hair into 11 to 41 strains (the braided hair must be in odd numbers).

Third, we cook Nowruz ash (dish) with seven different grains, because it is a symbol of harvest. People gather in a big square to play different kinds of sports, like football, volleyball, swings, boxing, and horseback riding.