People set off endless fireworks, jump over bonfires (to symbolise renewal of life) and release sky lanterns filled with their hopes and dreams for the year ahead. The new year is usually announced by Haji Firooz, a fictional, tambourine-playing character with ambiguous origins. In cities like Yazd and Isfahan, a festival called Sadeh honours fire for the 50 days and nights that precede Nowruz. Reminders of Azerbaijan’s Zoroastrian past are everywhere in the country, whether in its fire temples, burning hillsides or flame-shaped skyscrapers. Although ‘Novruz’ was stifled here under the Soviet regime, families continued to celebrate in secret, and today, it’s the most joyful date on the Azeri calendar. Festivities start early — the four Tuesdays in the run-up to Novruz celebrate the four elements: water, fire, earth and air.
