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| Hello, and welcome to the Culture Class- Holidays in Turkey Series at TurkishClass101.com. In this series, we’re exploring the traditions behind Turkish holidays and observances. I’m Michael, and you're listening to Season 1, Lesson 13 - Nowruz. In Turkish, it’s called Nevruz. |
| Nowruz marks the first day of spring, the end of winter, and the beginning of the year according to the Persian calendar. It is a time for family and friends to gather and celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of the next. Nowruz is a very old celebration known by a variety of different names in both the East and West. It flourished as it was passed on from one culture to another. Even though it is not celebrated within Islam, it is a celebration that pre-Islamic Turkish people began celebrating a long time ago and it has survived well through time. |
| In this lesson you are going to learn who in modern Turkey celebrates Nowruz. |
| Now, before we get into more detail, do you know the answer to this question- |
| Nowruz is celebrated in a number of different cultures, but do you know where the word Nowruz comes from and what it means? |
| If you don't already know, you’ll find out a bit later. Keep listening. |
| While Afghans, Crimean Tatars, and Kurds have different traditions related to this day, in this lesson we are only going to focus on Turkish Nowruz traditions. Following the stories from the Ergenekon Epic, or Ergenekon Destanı, a mythical creation myth, this tradition is related to the religion of the people in Turkey before the popularization of Islam. According to the twelve-animal ancient Turkish calendar, or on iki hayvanlı Türk takvimi, the day on which night and day are the same length is considered the beginning of the New Year. |
| During the Seljuk and Ottoman Empire periods, Nowruz – or as it was called back then “Nevruziye” – used to be celebrated with feasts, poems and festive activities, and was in fact considered a national occasion. Even today in Manisa, mesir paste or mesir macunu, a spicy, sweet paste made from 41 kinds of herbs and spices, is specially prepared for Nowruz celebrations. Foreign tourists are particularly drawn towards this tradition, which has been celebrated since the Ottoman period. The most striking event that takes place during this festival is the mesir paste ring. |
| The Mesir Paste Throwing Festival, or Mesir Macunu Festivali, has been added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. According to legend, when Sultan Hafsa, the mother of Kanuni Sultan Süleyman, or Suleyman the Magnificent, the tenth and longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, fell ill, she was cured after being given this paste. Sultan Hafsa thus declared that the paste be thrown from mosque minarets and shared with the public. |
| In Anatolia, it is believed that mesir paste is very beneficial to a person’s health and has healing properties. It is believed to be particularly good for overcoming a cold and curing a lack of appetite, and also gives you energy. |
| Now it's time to answer our quiz question- |
| Nowruz is celebrated in so many cultures, but do you know where the word Nowruz comes from and what it means? |
| It is not a Turkish word. It is originally a Persian word and its slightly different variations are also used by the Turks, Armenians and Georgians. |
| So listeners, how was this lesson? Did you learn anything interesting? |
| How do you celebrate the beginning of spring in your country? |
| Leave us a comment letting us know at TurkishClass101.com. And we'll see you in the next lesson! |
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