Students of BSMU shared their traditions of celebrating Navruz

In 2025, about five thousand international students from 60 countries are studying at Bashkir State Medical University. At the University, the students represent all the diverse cultures of their countries. Every year in March, our students celebrate the holiday of the arrival of spring and New Year – Navruz. The guys from Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Iran talked about how it is customary to celebrate this festival in their countries.

Turkmenistan

According to the legend, Bibi-Patyma (Eishe-Patyma), the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, the patroness of women, was the first to cook the "seed" dish. A Turkmen woman who cooked this dish and treated her relatives and neighbors to it could count on fulfilling her wishes for a year. The game "byash-dash" ("Five pebbles"), which vaguely resembles an ancient tradition, has been preserved in many villages of Turkmenistan to this day. In Turkmenistan, Navruz Bayram is celebrated for two days — on March 21 and 22. The holiday received state status in 1992.

Bakhadirova Rushana, L-220 B

Turkmens hold special events in Navruz, in particular, they prepare dishes with the word "Navruz" in the name, for example, "Novruz-kedzhe" and "Novruz-yarma" During these holidays, Turkmen children participate in special games.

On this day, famous singers and musicians who perform wonderful pieces of music come to Independence Park and other cultural centers of the country. Other traditions of this day include the performance of "lale" (the name of the genre of maiden songs in Turkmen folk poetry), the dance of "kusht-depdi" (a folk Turkmen dance that was once a kind of collective Sufi singing (dhikr) and has been preserved as a ritual and entertainment part of traditional celebrations).

Rejepova Gulchira, L- 220 B

Tadjikistan

Navruz is celebrated on a special scale in Tajikistan. A few days before the holiday, people carry out general cleaning in their homes, update their clothes, decorate their homes and prepare traditional treats. One of the main dishes of Navruz is sumalak, a sweet treat made from sprouted wheat, which is cooked by the whole family or even the entire mahalla (neighborhood community). Pilaf, kebabs, halva and other national dishes are also cooked. During the celebration, people visit relatives, congratulate each other, ask for forgiveness for past offenses and wish well-being in the new year. Mass celebrations are organized in towns and villages: concerts, sports, games, traditional horse racing and national wrestling gushtingiri. In some regions of Tajikistan, it is customary to jump over a campfire, symbolically burning all the bad things accumulated over the year, and entering the new year with pure thoughts.

Shodiev Sukhrobjon, L- 223 A

Uzbekistan

In Uzbekistan, we celebrate Navruz on March 21, when day and night are equal, and the New Year begins for the Turkic and Persian peoples. All family members gather at the festive table on this day. It is mandatory that the table should be decorated with dishes symbolizing rebirth and new life: sprouted wheat grains, cook-samsa (samsa with greens), cook-manti (manti with greens), cook-chuchvara (dumplings with greens). In addition, pilaf, shurpa, meat, eggs dyed green (the color of spring), almonds, nuts and sweets are certainly served on the table. But the main decoration of the festive table remains sumalak, which is made from sprouted wheat grains with the addition of butter and flour.

Otaboeva Robiyazhon Abror Kizi, ST505 B

Iran

In Iran, it is customary to set the festive table "haft sin" on Nowruz: Iranians put on tables seven symbols of Nowruz, which names begin with the letter "s": wheat (sabzeh), wheat pudding (samana), vinegar (sarkeh), apple (sib), garlic (sir), sumac and sangeed.  We read prayers so that everyone will be healthy for the next year. We have 13 days of rest in total, and it is customary to go out into nature on the last day. We usually celebrate Nowruz with our family and cook our favorite dishes.

Mahdavi Fatima, ST101B (foreign)