NEVRUZ IN TURKISH CULTURE AND NATIONAL UNITY-SOLIDARITY

Prof. Dr. Abdurrahman GÜZEL

Religious and national festivals have significant effects in terms of deepening the personal relationships and maintaining unity and cooperation. The festivals have had a characteristic of maintenance of solidarity and unity since the oldest recorded times of the Turkish history. Drive hunts, toy, yuğ and feasts used to be celebrated with great excitement among several Turkish communities.

The festivals of Ramadan and Sacrifice have been celebrated with as much excitement and joy after the assent of Islam by the Turkish community. Festivals actually provide an important background for the national conscious and solidarity in Turkish society. During the religious festivals, the poor are cared for, and the offended are reconciled. Zekat, fitre and sadaka (religious types of grant) are donated to the ones in need. The relatives, neighbours and elder family members are visited. All these activities strengthen the bonds of the society, and expand the common values among the individuals.

Nevruz was the New Year's Day for the ancient Turkish and Persian. Being a Persian word, Nevruz is a compound word, which means "the new day". Nevruz corresponds to the day when the sun moves to the house of Aries, March 22 in Gregorian calendar, and March 9 in Rumî (a solar calendar used in Turkey until 1925). This ancient tradition, which passed to the Arabs from Persia, has been seen in the Turkish population since ancient times, including the Calendar of Twelve Animals, and is still celebrated with ceremonies.

The nature is believed to be revived that day. These kinds of beliefs are actually common among the pre-Islamic Oriental tribes and non-Muslim nations as well. The Sumerian mythological hero called Tammuz, better known as "Attis", appears as Adon, which means "our master" in Hebrew, and is known as Adonis among Grecians. There is apparent link between those Western legends, and the fact that Nevruz is personalized and called "Nevruz Sultan" in the East. The Persians have named two different days as "Nevruz".

"One of them is the first day of Ferverdin, the first month of the solar calendar, which is also known as "Nevruz-ı amme". The sun moves to the house of Aries that day. According to the legend, God created the universe and the human beings this day, and all the stars began to spin and passed through the house of Aries. According to another legend, after travelling all around the world, Cem came to Azerbaijan, and declared his throne there since he admired the place. Both his throne, and his clothes and crown, which were adorned with jewellery, glimmered so brightly with the rising sun. The witnesses said, "There is something different about today; it is unlike the other ones, a new day." So they called that day "nevruz", and called Cem "Cemşid" by adding the word "şid" (light) to his name. This is called "Nevruz-ı hasse"(1)

Nevruz is known by the name "Nevruz" among the Arabs. After converting to Slam, many other Islamic beliefs have appeared about Nevruz, which gained certain Islamic patterns. This influence can clearly be seen on comments like God created the Earth, gave Adam life, and distributed the stars to the houses of the horoscope on Nevruz.

Beliefs and ceremonies about the refreshment and revival of the nature, which were similar to Nevruz, have existed in every age. For instance, it is known that the Yakuts used to organize ceremonies for Göktanrı (one of the Gods that believed in ancient times), have "kımız" (a traditional Turkish drink made of horse's milk) under the green trees, and even jump over the fire which they set there. In the same way, the Mongols, the Kalmuks and the Tunguzs had also organised this sort of ceremonies.

Nevruz, which has been celebrated as the symbol of coming of the spring and liberation among the Turkish community, has been celebrated since the ancient ages of history on the very large geography where the Turks had expanded in terms of race, culture and language. It is natural that our ancestors who had a nomadic lifestyle as horsemen celebrated the coming of the spring as a festival, taking the vital importance of the liveliness of the nature, the plants and the water into consideration.

The coming of the spring and the revival of nature were celebrated with many ceremonies among the ancient Turks. The poets who were respected by the society used to read their poems in rhyme with "kopuz" (a traditional Turkish instrument), and the "kam"s used to organize religious ceremonies.

In the ancient Turks, the New Year's Day was in spring, March 22, which is the equinox. Divanü Lügat-it-Türk and the Calendar of Twelve Animals take March 22, which is Nevruz, as the New Year's Day. Today Nevruz is celebrated under several names among Turkish communities. There are many traditions that concern this festival, which is celebrated under the names Nevruz, Noruz, Navrız, Ergenekon, Bozkurt, çağan, Yeni Gün(the new day), Ulusun Ulu Günü(the great day of the nation) .(2) Another ceremony which also takes place in almost all Turkish communities is Hızır Nebi (Hızır-İlyas, Hıdırellez). It is celebrated in and out of Anatolia with great attendance, since, according to the belief, the prophets Hızır and Ilyas come together in that day.
In Seljuk and Anatolian Principalities Nevruz, the day when the sun moves to the house of Aries, was accepted as the new years day. The importance of Nevruz as the beginning of the calendar year continued during the rule of Ottoman Empire. Nevruz kept its importance both among the people, and among the royal traditions.

Historical Development of Nevruz

The celebration of Nevruz as a festival continued in many societies until today.

The rumours on the origin of Nevruz have gained an Islamic characteristic in time.

One of those legends is about the day when Cemşid, one of the legendary rulers of Persia, came to Azerbaijan. Another Persian legend is about the discovery of fire by Cemşid. According to the legend, Cemşid saw a poisonous snake and he shot an arrow to it when he was on rabbit hunt. The arrow caused a spark by hitting the stones behind the snake, and the spark set the dry leaves around on fire. The Persians who had seen the fire for the first time, prostrated with fear, attributed fire a sacred meaning, and always tried to keep it flamed since they believed that it gets rid of the darkness. They built temples called "ateşgede" for this purpose. The day when the fire was discovered was accepted as Nevruz among the Persians.

Another belief is that the God created the Earth on Nevruz, gave life to Adam, and distributed the stars to their houses of horoscope. (3) Those rumours existed until today although they gained an Islamic appearance in time.

Nevruz, which has gained a completely legendary property in Persia, is still celebrated. The Arabs did not have the tradition of Nevruz since the New Year's Day corresponded to autumn in ancient Arabs.

The Arabs got acquainted with the tradition of Nevruz when the Sasanis were eliminated by the Muslim Arabs. Nevruz was the period when certain taxes were collected in Persia. This tradition also continued among the Arabs.
New legends have gone forth about Nevruz, which have gained an Islamic dimension. Those can be classified as follows (4).

a) God created the Earth on Nevruz when the night and day were equal.
b) The first human being, Adam, was created on Nevruz.
c) Since Adam and Eve, who used to live in Heaven, ate the forbidden fruit; Adam was exiled to Serendis Island and Eve, to Jeddah. God forgave Adam and Eve upon their regret, and brought them back together on Nevruz at Arafat.
d) After Noah's Ark had run aground in Ağrı Mountain, Prophet Noah sent a crow to learn whether the earth had dried. However, the crow did not come back. Later, a pigeon which was charged with the same duty succeeded to come back with a bay branch in its beak. That was the sign of the good news that the earth had dried and the spring had arrived. Subsequently, Prophet Noah came down to Sürmeli Deep (Iğdır Plain). The day he stepped on the ground was Nevruz.
e) Prophet Yusuf who was thrown into a pit by his brothers was saved by a merchant on Nevruz.
f) The day when Prophet Musa rescued his believers by dividing the Red Sea into two was Nevruz.
g) Prophet Yunus who was swallowed by a dolphin was brought ashore on Nevruz.
h) When God created the human beings, all the stars in the universe were heaped up in the house of Aires. God ordered them to go into their orbits on Nevruz.

The tradition of celebrating Nevruz has an ancient background in Turkish communities. The Turks celebrate Nevruz as Nevruz-ı Sultan'i, Sultan Nevruz(5), or in Middle Asian Turkish communities, as Sultan Navrız. The most significant of the rumours about Nevruz among the Turks is that it is the liberation day. The Epopee of Ergenekon, which was recounted by Ebulgazi Bahadır Han in detail, includes information about this festival.

According to this:
There was no single place where Kök-Türk arrows couldn't whistle, or Kök-Türk arms couldn't reach. All the tribes came together and walked in order to take their revenge from the Kök-Türks. The ruler of Kök-Türks, İl-Han had many sons, but they all died during the war. Only the youngest son of İl-Han, Kıyan/Kayan, and his nephew, Negüş/Tukuz who had just married that year could survive. Those two escaped with their wives, and they named Ergenekon the place they reached. In time they increased in number, and became too crowded for the place they sheltered in. Thus, they began to look for ways to get the ancient land of their ancestors back. Finally, they found a weak point in the mountain, and made their way out by melting the rocks at that point. This date, which meant a new life and a new beginning, was March 21.

This date was also accepted as the New Year's Day. On the same date of every year, animations of that experience were performed, and celebrations were organised in order to keep the national conscious alive. This date is also accepted as the festival of Ergenekon or Bozkurt depending on this legend.

When the traditions concerning Nevruz in Turkish communities are considered, this day is apparently related with Turkish culture of nature. Abdülbaki GÖLPINARLI, who had taken this point into consideration, said that Nevruz was "a festival of nature". (6) Let's have a brief look at the ways of comprehending and celebrating Nevruz in several Turkish communities:

a) Nevruz in Azerbaijan

Today, the traditions concerning the Ergenekon, Nevruz and spring festival exist in Turkish communities in Iran and Azerbaijan in their precise meaning. The festival of Nevruz has a rather national characteristic than religious among the Azerbaijani Turks. Several ceremonies take place in villages and cities of Northern Azerbaijan for this festival.

The 60 day period of the last two months of winter is divided into two parts. The "great çille" takes 40 days while the "small çille" takes 20. (7)

The night of the great beginning's day is called "çille night". The engaged young men give presents called "çillelik" to their fiancées. Çillelik is delivered on a large tray. Melon and water melon is delivered besides the presents for the girl, her mother, her father. The group come together around the table, have fruits and hold conversations all night long.

With the arrival of the festival, "Teke" game is played in all the cities and villages of Southern Azerbaijan. "Kosa" game is also played in certain regions. A wise kid is selected for the Kosa game, and is dressed with a fur, a long "külah" (a traditional kind of hat), a veil for the face, a belt, and a small bell. The kids go to houses reading poems, and receive presents from the inhabitants.

Mayors are visited and their hands are kissed fir the first thing in the festival's morning. The hosts offer date fruit and coffee to the guests during the visit. The neighbours are visited next.
Children wear their new dresses and visit the elders, and receive painted eggs, socks, and money. The visits continue until the 13th day of the festival.

b) Nevruz among the Kirghiz

Nevruz has been celebrated as a festival for many centuries among the Kirghiz, which are one of the most ancient Turkish clans. Enver BAYTUR, who is a historian from Eastern Turkistan, explains that Nevruz became a festival in 9th Century in Great Kirghiz State which was founded in Ene-Say, referring to the Chinese sources.(8) There is a legend about Nevruz among the Kirghiz people, as follows:
"When our Turkish father, the son of our father İshak grew up, he married the daughter called Nevruz of a man called Calalayın. The nature grew green during their wedding. This holy day, which corresponds to March 24, was inherited by the Kirghiz and has been celebrated as a festival."
The welcoming of Nevruz begins one week before among the Kirghiz. Seven kinds of food are prepared in seven caldrons placed on stoves. After cooking and eating, the young girls place green grasses and plum branches around the bull carriages, and plough the field. This symbolic act animates the arrival of the spring and the beginning of the fieldwork. An elder begins to sow some wheat to the field. A young man starts to do the fieldwork while saying traditional words. The Kirghiz have the tradition of setting a fire and jumping over it, as well as the other Turkish communities.

c) Nevruz in Uzbekistan

Nevruz has been celebrated in Uzbekistan since ancient times. However, during the 70 years of communist rule, it was only celebrated as a family festival among villagers, peasants, and craftsmen, in a narrow custom. After that period, Uzbekistan began to celebrate Nevruz as the people's festival.
Nevruz generally lasts one week in Uzbekistan. It is the festival of spring, labour, youth, beauty, joy, and happiness. During the Nevruz festival, the quarrels among people disappear, leaving their place to strengthening friendships. The people go on excursions to countryside and mountains. Mothers prepare plenty of food with several kinds of fruits and vegetables, with the company of their daughters and daughter-in-laws. This tradition is called "kazan doldu", which means the full caldron.
Uzbekistan has a symbolic hero, which represents Nevruz. This hero is "Baba Nevruz" (father Nevruz), who is dressed in green representing the spring. He is also called "Baba Dehkan" (Father Peasant) sometimes. The people go to the graveyard with the imam (prayer leader in Islam) on any one of the Saturdays or Sundays of March in order to read Koran for the spirits of their loved ones, and clean the graves. They repair and clean their houses. The public committees organise cultural activities, games, and other attractions. The poets organise festivals of poetry, while the elders hold conversations.
Nevruz is also called "Nevbahar" (The New Spring) in Uzbekistan. The Uzbeks and the Tajiks also give those names to their children. The name "Nevruz" is given to the sons, while "Nevbahar" and "Baharay" are given to the daughters.

d) Nevruz in Kazakhstan

Nevruz, which is the common festival of the Turkish world, has also been celebrated in Kazakhstan for many centuries. The people clean their houses, and put their best dresses on for Nevruz. The quarrelled make peace, and people pray with best wishes for one another.
The Kazakhs cook a special dish called "Nevruz Köjesi" including at least seven kinds of food. Everyone celebrate Nevruz in the way they can afford. Some sacrifice a sheep, and after cooking, offer the head to the elders as a sign of respect. The more guests visit a house, the happier the hosts get. The guests pray with best wishes for the hosts.
They give the names "Nevruzbay" and "Meyrambek" to the newborn babies during the festival. (10)

e) Nevruz in Turkmenistan

Nevruz is celebrated in Turkmenistan in similar ways to the other Turkish communities. The word Nevruz is frequently used in Turkmen poetry. Many Turkmen poets including famous Mahtumkulu mention Nevruz in their works. We receive information about Nevruz in Turkmenistan from published scientific works. Recently, Prof. Dr. A.Cikiev discussed Nevruz in his published work. (12)

f) Nevruz in other Turkish Communities

Among Karakalpaklar, Nevruz is celebrated for 3 days beginning on March 21. During the festival of Nevruz, young women and men gather in separate houses, entertain, and make wishes and pray for the future.
Crimean Turks, which live in Dobruca region, also still celebrate the tradition of Nevruz. The word Nevruz is spelled as Navrez in Crimean Turkish. Another name for this day, which is celebrated on March 21, is Gündönümü (equinox). (13)
On the festival's day, the children make groups of three and eight, take a huge branch with many leaves and flowers, and visit the houses. They sing songs for Nevruz in front of every house.
The Kazan Turks are not very familiar with Nevruz. However, Nevruz is mentioned in some poems of Idil and Volga Bulgarians, besides the Bulgarian heroes.
The tradition of Nevruz is known as mevris among the Western Thracian Turks.
Country outings are organised on Nevruz. People pick violets and take them to those who could not attend the entertainment. The receivers sniff the flowers for three times, and touch it to their eyes.
The tradition of Nevruz is very common among the Yugoslavian Turks, and is known as "Sultan Navrız". The people organise entertainments, make wishes and pray.
Nevruz is celebrated among the Cypriot Turks in the same way as the Anatolian Turks.

g) Nevruz/ Ergenekon in Anatolia

Nevruz is celebrated among the whole Turkish society regardless of the religious sects in Anatolia. Nevruz, which has many names such as Sultan-ı Nevruz, Nevruz Sultan, Mart Dokuzu and Mart Bozumu, is celebrated in many regions of Anatolia. (14)
The ceremony of Ertuğrul Gazi, which used to take place on March 9 during the rule of Abdülhamit, is celebrated in September today. This festival is also called "Yürük Bayramı".
The Yürük villages and tribes in Silifke of Mersin, still celebrate Nevruz according to the ancient traditions. The Yürüks believe that Nevruz signifies the end of winter, and the beginning of the spring.

One of the places where the Tahtacı (Takhtadjy) Turks live is the Naldöken village of İzmir, Bornova. The village has a history of two centuries. The Tahtacis celebrate Nevruz on March 9, and call it "Sultan Navruz". They go to mountain pastures on Nevruz. The Tahtacis of Silifke believe that Nevruz is the birthday of Prophet Hussein.

Neighbours and relatives visit each other, eat together, and celebrate the day in the evening of March 22. On March 23, graveyards are visited in the morning. The quarrelled make peace and forgive each other. The public of the village get upset with those who don't attend the festival.
March 21, the Festival of Nevruz is celebrated with great ceremonies among Turkish Alevi- Bektashi communities. Ayın-i cem is practiced on Nevruz. The ceremonies, which begin in the morning, last until the dawn of the next day. The fresh lovers read their poems, and afterwards people eat together.

Nevruz, which is celebrated on March 22 in the cities in the Southeast of Anatolia, is called Sultan-ı Navrız.

Nevruz is practiced in the end of March in Eastern Anatolia. M. Şerif Fırat explains that, the new year's day corresponds to March 17 according to the Rumi calendar.(15) The Eastern Anatolian communities including the Alevis, Sunnis, and several tribes, consider that night as sacred, and believe that all living and non-living creatures prostrate for God at that night. Again, according to the belief, God decides on the fortune of every person for the whole year on that day. Feasts and visits take place during the whole day. The poor ones are taken care of. Prayers are made for the spirits of the loved ones who have passed away. Nevruz is celebrated exactly as the Berat Night. People pray since they believe that they receive their annual fortune on that day. The quarrelled make peace, and solidarity and unity is maintained...

h) The position of Nevruz in Turkish Culture in terms of National Unity and Solidarity

Nevruz, which is celebrated under names such as Yeni Kun, Yeni Gün, Yengi Kün, Yeni Yıl, Çağan, Navrız, Ergenekon, has become the symbol of unity and solidarity among all Turkish communities.

Plenty of information is available in Turkish historical sources.

Nizamü'I-mülk had taken Nevruz as the new year's day, and appropriated that for the official life of Seljuk, by collecting taxes on that day. The same tradition continued in Ottomans. Even in the Turkish Republic, the financial year used to begin in March until 1985.

Divanü Lügat'ı- Türk, which includes very important information concerning Turkish culture, includes quadrates, which express the joy of the festival.

Kutadgu Bilig of Yusuf Has Hacib, which is one of the classical Works of Turkish- İslamic culture, beautifully describes the coming of the spring, the leafing out of the trees, and decoration of the nature with blushes (16), by making lively portrays of the nature.

Nevruz is the means of national unity and solidarity. Turkish people from completely different social levels and communities celebrate this festival altogether. Therefore, Nevruz performs one of the best instances of national unity and solidarity for the Turkish nation.

Both in our classical and public poetry, plenty of information are available on this task. What they all have in common is that, Nevruz is described as a festival of spring, which is convenient to the Turkish mythology.

Nevruz, which has reflections on Persian and Turkish literatures, is generally agreed to be the symbol of liveliness, renewal, and freshness. Nevruz actually has a characteristic of being the festival of liberation for the Turks. The tradition of celebrating the day when the Turks walked out of Ergenekon came to our day through centuries.

Several beliefs have come out about Nevruz among the Turkish Shi'i, Alevi, Bektashi, and Sunni communities.
Bektashis believe Nevruz to be the birthday of Prophet Ali and also his wedding day with Fatıma. (17)
According to the Alevis, Nevruz is the day when Ali was declared to be the khaliph by Prophet Mohammad. (18)

The origin of most of the beliefs of Shi'i, Alevi and Bektashi communities is Persia. Many of the legends that the Persians tell about Cemşid, are told about Ali in those communities.
Nevruz, which used to be an official festival until the first years of the Turkish Republic, have converted into a local festival, which is celebrated among certain groups during the republican rule.

Conclusion

Nevruz is the festival of friendship, brotherhood, goodness, and happiness. Being a whole of national traditions which bonds the Turkish people, Nevruz is celebrated like religious and national festivals, and is seen as the symbol of national unity and solidarity. Nevruz, which is agreed to be one of the dynamics, which keep the Turkish nation strong, shall be celebrated forever as one of the cultural bonds.

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1. Dr. İskender Pala, Ansiklopedik Divan Şiiri Sözlüğü, Kültür Bakanlığı Yayını, vol. II, p.238.
2. Prof.Dr., Abdulhaluk Çay, Türk Ergenekon Bayramı Nevruz, Ankara 1993, p. 71.
3. İsmet Parmaksızoğlu, "Nevruz", Türk Ansiklopedisi, cilt 25, s.218; M. Zeki Pakalın, Osmanlı Deyimleri ve Terimleri Sözlüğü, vol. II, İstanbul 1971, p. 686.
4. Nizamettin Onk, "Aras Boyu Örf ve Adetleri Nevruz Bayramı", Türk Kültürü, issue 119, (September 1972).
5. Şemseddin Sami, Kamu Sol Türkı, p. 1474-1475.
6. Abdülbaki Gölpınarlı, "Nevruz:Yenigün", Vatan Gazetesi, 22 March 1957.
7. Habib tdrisi, "Eski İran ve Azerbaycan Eyaletinde Nevruz", Nevruz, A.K.M. Pub., Ankara 1995, p. 229.
8. Olcabay K. Karatayev, "Kırgız Tarihi ve Nevruz", Nevruz, A.K.M. Pub., Ankara, 1995, p.135.
9. Akhmatali Askarov, "Özbekistan'da Nevruz Tekrar Halkın Bayramı Oldu", AktHüseyin
Özbay, Nevruz, A.K.M. Pub., p.237.
10. Totay Tacioğlu Tuzlugil, "Kazakistan'da Nevruz Kutlamalan", Nevruz, A.K.M. Pub., Ankara 1995, p. 323.
11. Mahtumkulu, Sayıanan Eserler, vol. I, p. 40, Aşgabat 1993.
12. A. Cikiev, Türkmen/erin Taklidi Bayram/arı. Şö/en/eri ve Oyun/an, Aşgabat 1983.
13. Çay, ibid., 8.109.
14 Çay, ibid., 5.131.
15. M.Şerif Fırat, Doğu ılleri ve Varto Tarihi, IVth add., Ankara 1981, p. 217.
16. Çay, ibid., p. 71-73.
17. Prof.Dr. Abdurrahman Güzel,.AIi in der Bektaschi Dichtung, namentlich jener des16 Jhtd's, Wien 1972 (published doctorate research), p. 116.
18. Bedri Noyan, "Şi'a'nın Bayramlarından Nevruz", TDED, II, Prof. Dr. Harun Tolosa special eddition, İzmir 1993, p. 102-103.