Novrus in Mingachevir

I know this post is a bit late in coming. Sorry. Work and lack of internet have kept me from being as diligent with my blog as I would like. Now that I finally have a phone line in my apartment it is much easier to keep up.

After returning from my all-too brief visit to the U.S. Azerbaijan was in the middle of its Novrus celebration, which lasts for most of the month of March. As everything in the country was shut down for the week I headed to Mingechavir to spend the holiday with Mike. Because of Peace Corps regulations he cannot leave his town without a work-related reason and permission from his program administrator. But enough about Peace Corps travel policies and on to Novrus!
This is an ancient New Years celebration, dating back before Islam came to the region. The holiday starts on March 20th but every Tuesday prior is also a holiday celebrating the four elements- earth, water, air and fire. The final Tuesday is the main holiday and the streets are filled with bonfires. What few trees there are left in the country are hacked at for fuel for the clebration- anything else that will burn- regardless of its toxicity is also added to the flames- note tires being added to the pile!!!
On the final Tuesday there was a large festival in the city center. Each school had a Novrus display, there were tightrope walkers, sportsmen and young children in traditional dress dancing around to folk music. There were also several speaches by the local government and some pop singers also came into town to perform. Also note large billboard of dead former president Heydar Aliyev. As I've said before he is the most influencial dead guy I have ever known. In the evening Mike and I gathered outside with the neigbors to stand around and admire the bonfire-ignoring the poisonous rubber smoke from the burning tires. It was - as they say in Azeri- chox gesheng. (Very beautiful) Once the flames had stopped lapping the tree tops, the children and some of the adults took turns jumping across it. The idea behind it is when you jump over the flames you shout out your troubles of the past year and are thus symbolically leaving these burdens behind you and starting a -fresh. Children also leave their caps in front of doors and knock on them with the anticipation that they will receive some kind of sweets. There is also a play that is reenacted every year- where an old bald man- symbolizing winter searches the town for the most beautiful young girl to marry- she is, of course, the symbol of spring. There are also traditional rice dishes which are eaten for Novrus and guests bring plates of sweets to friends and neighbors.

At our block party once the fire went down and the children had stopped jumping over the flames and lighting fireworks under my feet, we headed into the community outbuilding for a small dance party. The apartment dwellers had chipped in for a musician and for several hours we skipped about to traditional music. We got to meet many of Mike's young neighbors who were very curious about these strange Americans. Probably the funniest thing was when two different women on two separate occaisions asked me if Mike was my son. Anyway. Because the nature of our relationship is pretty close to incomprehensible to Azeris outside of Baku we just tell people that we are married. As I have said before-there are no male-female relationships unless a wedding is being planned.
This Novrus was special in that the president decreed that the holiday last for an entire week- so the following Monday was also a day-off. The week was a good way to get readjusted to being back in Azerbaijan.