Azerbaijan marks first Tuesday ahead of Novruz spring feast

Novruz is a significant holiday in Azerbaijan, symbolizing new life and the arrival of spring.

The four Tuesdays leading up to the main holiday each represent different elements, with Water Tuesday being the first.

This day is associated with purification and renewal, where Azerbaijanis traditionally engage in activities like house cleaning, planting samani (sprouted seeds), and jumping over flowing water to symbolically rid themselves of troubles and sins.

Unmarried women would also collect pure water from springs in special jugs and splash it around their homes and on their relatives' faces.

The planting of samani is a symbolic gesture of new life and prosperity, accompanied by folk songs and dances. It is a time of celebration and rejuvenation as nature awakens and blossoms, heralding the arrival of spring.

Novruz is celebrated by millions of people worldwide including Azerbaijan, Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and other countries.

The holiday was given the status of an official holiday in Azerbaijan by a presidential decree dated 13 March 1990.

In 2009, Novruz was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 March International Novruz Day a year later.