Public Holidays
New Year – January 1
International Women’s Day – March 8
Navruz – March 21
Memorial Day – May 9
Independence Day – September 1
Constitution Day – December 8
Holidays
Independence Day, the most important public holiday is celebrated on September 1st. Every year on December 8 the Constitution Day is celebrated in honor of adoption of the new Constitutions of independent Uzbekistan in 1992. Like in many other countries, on May 9 the Memorial and Respect Day is celebrated. Holidays associated with the end of fasting – Ramazan Khayit and Qurban-Hayit are celebrated widely. Qurban Khayit is one of the most important Muslim holidays.
On this day after due rituals the believers pay visits or receive guests themselves, assist the sick, lonely people, express mercy to close people. Ramazan-Khayit holiday is amazing – holiday of spiritual and moral cleansing. It starts from the end of 30-days fasting which fall to the 9th month of Muslim year of Khidjra according to Islamic laws. On this holidays people commemorate the dead, visit the sick and elder people, are engaged in charity and other good works.
Navruz
Navrus (“Navruz bayrami”), the most ancient popular holiday is celebrated on March 21, the vernal equinox. It is celebration of the nature’s awakening and start of sowing works, which preserved in its rituals the features of Zoroastrism. In farming oasises of ancient Uzbekistan large public festivities, holidays bazaars were organized annually. Traditionally, even today people cook “baursak” and prepare ritual dish – sumalyak. After celebration usually the field works start, which in the past were also accompanied by performance of various ceremonies: before going to the filed the horns and neck of the bullock and bull were treated by oil. First furrow is performed by the most respected and eldest member of the community.
During the years of state independence the celebration of Navruz acquired the new scale and depth. It became the nationwide holiday of friendship, unity, eternity of all nations. Philosophical and poetic reflection of Navruz, its role in the public history is discovered in bright theater-type shows.
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Uzbekistan