Novruz holiday celebrated in UNESCO

Under the co-organization of the Permanent Delegates of Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, India and Pakistan to UNESCO, Novruz holiday was celebrated at the UNESCO headquarter.

At the ceremony, the Permanent Delegate of the Islamic Republic of Iran to UNESCO A. Calili spoke on the Novruz holiday and its spiritual significance as head of the organizing committee.

Then, Assistant Director-General of UNESCO Getschu Engida greeted ambassadors of organizing countries and congratulated the participants on behalf of Director-General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay. He noted that Novruz holiday reflects universal values such as peace, solidarity, and is a model of national identity transmitted from generation to generation. G. Engida characterized Novruz as one of the most important holidays of humanity and stressed that joint work of ten countries in UNESCO is an example of solidarity.

Within the framework of the event cultural representatives of the organizing countries performed national music and dance samples.

Head of the Permanent Delegate of the Republic of Azerbaijan to UNESCO, Ambassador Anar Karimov informed the guests about the traditions of celebrating Novruz holiday in our country.

Then, our national cuisine was presented at the reception. Novruz holiday was included in the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009.

Ambassador Moin Ul-Hague, head of Pakistan's Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, said in an interview to AZERTAC that he was pleased to attend the Novruz holiday event in such an authoritative organization.

He noted: "Novruz is a holiday of happiness, a holiday of joy, brings people together and is the sign of spring. I take this opportunity to congratulate the Azerbaijani people on the Novruz holiday. Azerbaijan and Pakistan have close ties of friendship, and our countries have a high level of ties. I wish the Azerbaijani people and the government peace and prosperity Ambassador Darko Tanaskovic, head of the Permanent Delegate of Serbia to UNESCO, said that he has been attending Novruz holiday events for many years. "I have worked as an ambassador to the countries where Novruz holiday celebrated. Therefore, I have heard a lot about this holiday and its traditions. Novruz has brought a new normality to the calendar. It is important that the holiday of nature be put on the human calendar. Novruz is the awakening of nature. Therefore, the New Year must actually start with the awakening of nature - the Novruz. When New Year's celebration is celebrated in January, nature is sleeping, and waiting for its time. Namely that time is just Novruz. Human beings must follow nature's movements. The New Year should coincide with the awakening of the nature, "said D. Tanaskovic.