Nauruz (New Year)

Believe it or not, we're already on bonding day #11--and tomorrow we'll have been in Uralsk for two weeks. Time sure is flying. Typically after completing 14 days of bonding (which will be this coming Tuesday), we'd have our first court date. But before we can do that, we need the newly requested notarized/apostilled Guardianship letter to arrive from our agency in Portland. It takes 3-4 days via Fed Ex to arrive in Uralsk and at this point we're not sure where it is. Hopefully we'll know the answer soon. Although Uralsk is a nice place to visit, we'd like to make our trip as short as possible.

In the meantime, here are some pictures of Nurlan (Garrett) in his performance outfit--doesn't he look handsome? It seems the orphanage schedules performances on a weekly basis. The next one will be held this Monday in honor of Nauruz (New Year).

In Kazakhstan family and friends get together and celebrate what they call “Nauruz,” the word comes from the Persian words “ Nau-New, Ruz-Year.”

The tradition is to gather around a table and exchange gifts among relatives, celebrating the end of a harsh winter and welcoming the upcoming spring. The Kazakh New Year is very similar to the Persian New Year with an emphasis on the number seven.

The main ritual dish, “Nauryz-kozheh,” includes seven ingredients, signifying the seven life beginnings--water, meat, salt, fat, flour, cereal and milk--symbolizing joy, luck, wisdom, health, wealth, speedy growth and heavenly protection. Before the coming of the spring, the people have to ask for forgiveness of their sins, liquidate their debts, revive themselves spiritually and physically reconcile with relatives and friends.

Everybody has to visit seven houses and invite seven guests. “Koktem tudy” (spring is born) Kazakhs say that day and meet Nauruz in the streets, squares, parks and stadiums. The streets are full of activities, including horse racing and other national sports, such as kazakhsha-kyres, where men are supposed to wrestle while riding a horse, and Kokpar, a team contest of rider groups try to seize and take possession of a slaughtered goat’s body. (Bob can't wait but I plan on skipping that one.)

The New Year is a three-day holiday, starting next Friday. That means we'll only have one visit with Nurlan on Friday and won't see him again until Monday.

This country sure gets into their holidays. There seems to be one every other week.