NEVRUZ IS BEING CELEBRATED BY HUNDREDS OF COMMUNITIES ON EARTH SINCE 5 THOUSAND YEARS
ANKARA - Nevruz, the World's oldest festival which is celebrated by festivities under various names in many communities, is being celebrated in the Turkish World as ''the exit of Turks from Ergenekon'' and ''the beginning of the new year in Turkish calendar with 12 animals'' since 5000 years.
Some accept this day as the day God created Earth, some as the day Prophet Noah stepped on Earth after the Flood. Some accepts it as the day first human-being is created, and some as the messenger of Spring.
Nevruz which means ''New Day' in Persian, is called ''Noruz'', ''Navrýz'', ''Ergenekon'', ''Bozkurt'', ''Çaðan (Chaghan)'', ''Mart Dokuzu (Nine of March)'', ''Ulusun Ulu Günü (Holy Day of the Nation)'', ''Ýlk Yaz Yortusu (First Summer Easter)'', ''Yengi Gün (New Day)'', ''Köklü Marta (Rooted March)'', ''Sultan Nevruz'', ''Mart Bozumu (End of March)'' in various Turkish communities on Earth.
Following the ancient Huns, the Yakuts, the Uigur Turks, the Kazan Turks, the Tunguz Turks, the Nogay Turks, the Tatars, the Kyrgyzs, the Kazakhs, the Uzbeks, the Tajiks, the Azerbaijanis, the Turkmens, the Sahas, the Cuvases, and the Gagauzes have been celebrating the Nevruz for centuries in a huge geography from the Central Asia to the Balkans.
The Nevruz is being celebrated in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan as a ''national feast''.
Overall dwellings are cleaned for the Nevruz which is believed to be the day when everyone's fate is determined and the day when all diseases, evil, misfortunes, and troubles disappear.
Various games are played, and special meals are cooked to mark the Nevruz.
After eating the meal together, people exchange greetings with each other for a happy new year. Then, they visit graves of their beloved ones. Those who offended to each other, are reconciled. People extend a helping hand to the poor, the forlorn, and the elderlies. Young people wishing their dreams to come true, jump over a Nevruz Fire.
-EXIT FROM ERGENEKON-
In accordance with a common belief in the Turkish World, Nevruz is considered as the day when the Gokturks departed from Ergenekon and obtained their independence.
In Ergenekon Epic of Ebulgazi Bahadir Khan's famous work named ''Secere-i Turk'' (Genealogy of Turks), it was told that the Turks who had to live in a valley surrounded by high mountains for 400 years, left the valley when spring started, returned to their homeland, and gained their independence. Therefore, March 21 symbolizes the independence day. During Nevruz celebrations, especially the Turks living in Central Asia, read out Ergenekon Epic to express the importance of Nevruz to the new generations.
According to another belief, March 21, the beginning of the 12-animal Turkish Calendar, symbolizes refreshment of the nature, and beginning of spring. Snowdrops which bloom in these days, are called as ''Nevruz Flower''. Babies who are born in Nevruz, are given the first name of Nevruz.
-COLORS OF NEVRUZ-
Yellow, red, and green have been considered as the Colors of Nevruz for centuries. The ancient Turks attributed different meanings to these colors.
According to them, green symbolizes ''vitality, freshness, and youth'', yellow symbolizes ''sovereignty'', and red symbolizes ''God, protecting spirit, home, peace, independence, and freedom''.
During ancient shamanic ceremonies, a rope decorated with green, red, yellow, and white cloths, is believed to guide the shaman to the heavens.
The ancient Turks also use green to express the east, white for the west, red for the south, black for the north, and yellow for the center.
Red, yellow, and green were used by the Turks from Seljuk period to Ottoman Empire in flags to symbolize the sovereignty. These colors were also used in organizations and military uniforms of the Ottomans. A flag with three crescents embroidered with yellow thread in a green oval shape on a red ground, was used as the sultanate flag.