March in Azerbaijan...

Although I wasn’t able to write as often as I would wish to that does not mean that March has passed unnoticed…Quite often I felt the urge to write and today is the day )

This post is devoted to the month of March, how special it is for Azerbaijan.

Those who know Azerbaijan would know that the month starts with us celebrating the 8th of March, so called "Women's Day". Nowadays one can find many people who argue that the holiday quite lost its essence by now and that it is not "applicable" any longer and that it is not national enough. But then you should see the sea of flowers, chocolates, perfumes that cause endless smiles and happy atmosphere. You would say I am biased and conformist. In fact I am confused. I want for women to have rights to make their own choices and have the most equal rights they chose to have but I also want them to have a luxury of feeling feminine with some "special" rights such as men holding doors for them and letting pass first. With these confused thoughts I am among those who accept wishes on the date and try to understand those who are unhappy with imperfections of the holiday.

Later in the month when everyone longs for spring even stronger with every week we anticipate our one of the most cherished holidays Novruz.

During previous years I would have posts in March that I would devote to Tuesdays of wind, water, fire and earth that precede Novruz holiday. Zoroastrian by history and nature Novruz is the holiday we have inherited from our ancestors and I love the holiday for its multidimensional beauty and wisdom.

Just like any other place in the world Azerbaijan lived through different stages of history and development. On that path it accumulated traditions, culture and beliefs that got changed and adapted by winds of change and novelties. Country observes holidays of Islam, celebrates New Year decorating New Year tree (many of the readers would read it as X-mas tree) and has holidays like 8th of March and Novruz not mentioning the holidays to celebrate Independence and other. Over the centuries the country has been and is very tolerant to all beliefs, religions and cultures. More than 70 years it was a part of Soviet Union. I can almost compare this membership to put it softly to undesired friendship or even union where one is constantly making compromises and somewhat obeying while the other is becoming more and more demanding and impudent. I am glad that we are out of this union and don’t have to ask permissions and have excuses to celebrate holidays like Novruz (celebrating Novruz was prohibited for some time during Soviet Union).

Before I am too carried away with all these thoughts let me wish to all of you happy spring and that you don’t miss it and actually enjoy every new flower and sun ray of nature.

For colourful pictures of Novruz please see my earlier post here.

And let me post some more of those that I have taken recently.