Nauryz and the End of the Appeal Period

My appeal period is officially up!!!  Hannah Elizabeth's paperwork is processing and in just a few short weeks I will be on my way back to bring her home forever!!!  How nice that our "Hannaversary" also happens to fall on the first day of Nauryz.  Also, for my friends reading the blog who are not in the adoption world, I wanted to give you some background info on this most important of Kazakh holidays, courtesy of Wikipedia, of course:

Nauryz  - Nauryz is Kazakhstan's celebration of the arrival of spring and the end of winter. For the Kazakh nomads, the arrival of spring was a time for great celebration. Life was hard for
nomads on the Kazakh steppes, and Nauryz marked the end of the difficult winter season and
the beginning of spring renewal. With spring came the beginning of a new year’s cycle of life,
the time of year when the nomads happily said goodbye to harsh winter weather, welcomed
warm weather, and rejoiced in the birthing season of their valuable livestock upon which they
depended for food and their very livelihoods.

The roots of the holiday are ancient, and it is believed that the roots of Nauryz began at least
2000 years ago, most likely in Persia. Nauryz is a traditional celebration of the spring equinox celebrated today by many nations throughout Asia and Europe, including Russia, Ukraine, Japan, and China.
In modern Kazakhstan, Nauryz is truly a social event. People gather together at their main city
squares, where holiday organizers erect yurts, stages, and trading tents where crafts and goods
are sold. Food is cooked on open fires in huge pots, and people dress festively. Throughout the
day loud music is played and national singers and dancers perform their arts. Above all, it is a
time for people to spend time with their friends and family, to meet new people and to make
new acquaintances.
As evening approaches, when most elders retire to their homes, Nauryz organizers often stage a
huge open-air disco show. Pop musicians of Kazakhstan and invited guests from other countries
(e.g., Russia, Ukraine, Turkey etc.) perform, and the music may last all night long. There is a traditional belief that people will spend their new year in a manner similar to the way they celebrated Nauryz. So, in the spirit of the season and a desire to have a comfortable year, people work hard to clean their homes, they wear their best clothing, and they cook a lot of good food. Indeed, the Nauryz table has important symbolism: the more food you have on your table, the better and more sufficient your life may be in the coming year.
According to tradition, the number “seven” has a magical meaning and it is good to have seven
dishes on your table. At the Nauryz table, all the dishes have to be homemade and not bought
in a supermarket, for the food must be made very carefully and with great love. You never cook
common dishes for Nauryz, only special holiday foods. Above all, everyone in the family has to
be involved in the preparations – in this way everyone gets to feel the importance of this annual
event.

Kazakhs are usually very conservative in the use of their best possessions, but on the occasion
of Nauryz, people can’t resist the joy of the holiday and exhibit all their best possessions.
Families take out their special carpets, table cloths, blankets, pillows, and whatever is special
to them. People decorate their homes with these treasures and take great pleasure in the
holiday.
In years past, Nauryz also was also a day for sweethearts, similar to Valentine’s Day here in the
west. Young people prepared special presents for their sweethearts. Girls invited their
boyfriends to their homes and treated them with a special dish called “Awakening”.
“Awakening” was prepared a special way, intended to increase a man’s power and help him win
traditional sport contests such as a horse races or wrestling. In turn, guys would bring their
girlfriends presents, like sweets, jewelry, or cosmetics.

In addition, for young unmarried people, there was a game on horseback called “Kyz-kuu”
(chasing a girl). The girl rode a very fast horse to escape a bunch of guys who tried to catch her.
The winner was the lucky guy who kissed the girl on her cheek while riding at maximum speed.

Nauryz is a great day for national sports in Kazakhstan. In modern times, people in the
countryside organize traditional games. Most of the sports are on horseback, and there are
many variations. There are also ground sports, such as wrestling, archery, and tug-of-war. Most
Kazakh sports are actually ancient warrior trainings, so the play often gets very rough, and only
well trained adults are allowed to participate.

For boys and girls there are many games and activities, such as puzzles, memory contests, hide
and seek, chasing, and swinging on traditional “Alty-Bakan” swings. There is also a traditional
Kazakh game called “Asyktar”, which is similar to what Americans know as marbles. Asyktar is
a major children’s game, played with bones from the feet of sheep.

Happy Nauryz everyone!!!