Published: 02:01 PM, 24 March 2025
Amsterdam’s “Lonely Uyghur” About Celebrating Nowruz in Exile
The Nowruz celebration held in the village of Chilek, Kazakhstan, March 22, 2022.
For the Uyghurs, Nowruz is one of the national holidays they have shaped based on their cultural creation and cultural acceptance throughout history, passing it down from generation to generation.
“Nowruz” originally means “new day” and also signifies “spring rain” or “the first day of spring.” This holiday is celebrated according to the solar calendar on the day when winter ends and spring begins (March 21st every year), which is the first day of spring when day and night are equal. Nowruz serves as a New Year celebration and holds an immensely significant place in the lifestyle and traditions of Uyghurs.
Although there are no reliable historical records about when Nowruz began among Uyghurs, based on myths and legends surrounding the holiday, its emergence is linked to the pre-Islamic period when Uyghurs worshipped Tengri, the Sky God (from the 3rd to the 8th century CE). As winter ended and spring arrived, when nature and living beings awakened and fieldwork began, our ancestors regarded this period as the prelude to a new life in the new year. Thus, Nowruz is considered our New Year holiday.
“Nowruz” means the beginning of spring, as the saying goes: “The start of work is from the morning, and the start of the year is from spring.” Therefore, in the past, kings, sultans, and wealthy individuals honored this day by freeing prisoners from dungeons, publishing scholars’ books, and having them copied and distributed, and other significant acts.
In the 11th century, the great writer Yusuf Khass Hajib completed his monumental work “Kutadgu Bilig” in 1069 CE in Kashgar, the capital of the Kara-Khanid Khanate (840–1212), and presented it to the Qarakhanid ruler Bughra Ali Hasan on Nowruz day.
Classical Uyghur and Turkic scholars such as Mahmud al-Kashgari, Yusuf Khass Hajib and Alisher Navoi specifically mentioned Nowruz in their works, describing the holiday with vivid language and composing numerous poems about it.
Thus, over thousands of years of history, Uyghurs have created remarkable cultural achievements in language and epic storytelling, enriching the treasury of world civilization. To preserve this cultural heritage, develop it further, and pass it on to future generations, Uyghurs have celebrated Nowruz in various forms.
Since 2017, the Chinese government has escalated its genocide in East Turkestan to an extreme level, completely banning all aspects of Uyghur culture and traditions. Under policies like “Nourishing East Turkestan with Culture,” and enforcing a “Chinese Identity,” the Chinese authorities have forced Uyghurs to adopt Chinese culture and celebrate Chinese holidays, implementing a large-scale Sinicization campaign.
In this situation, where Uyghur culture and traditions are suppressed in East Turkestan, the responsibility of protecting Uyghur culture, teaching it to their children, and passing it down through generations has fallen upon Uyghurs in the diaspora.
So, what is the significance of celebrating Nowruz for Uyghurs in the diaspora? Culture means existence. China knows well that it cannot eradicate us through physical destruction alone; it must first destroy our spirit and soul. Therefore, alongside our faith, they have devised sinister plans to annihilate our culture, aiming for complete assimilation. They have declared Uyghurs a “culturally starved, hollow nation,” claiming to “nourish” us with Chinese culture and traditions, replacing Nowruz with holidays like the Chinese new year.
While China seeks to eradicate our culture, Uyghurs living across the free world celebrate our traditional cultural holiday, Nowruz, to preserve our heritage and revive the Uyghur spirit. In the countries where we reside, we wear our traditional clothing, gather together, catch up with one another, enjoy Uyghur cuisine, the music of our musicians, and the performances of our artists, finding solace in our longing for one another. We reminisce about the Nowruz celebrations we held in our homeland, teaching our children the beauty of this traditional holiday, nourishing their souls with Uyghur culture. By celebrating Nowruz, we introduce our glorious historical culture and traditions to Western nations, demonstrating that Uyghurs are a nation with a strong cultural foundation—one deserving not pity, but understanding and respect.
Through these activities, we prove that our culture has no connection or ties to Chinese culture. We explain that what was said should “never again” happen, in the 21st century is occurring in our homeland, East Turkestan, and that restoring East Turkestan’s independence is the only path to restoring the existence of the Uyghur people, showcasing our will to live freely and independently.
Today all Uyghur organizations in the diaspora join hands and celebrate Nowruz celebration in unity and harmony, inviting all Uyghur brothers and sisters to participate in this event.
May our Nowruz holiday be blessed for all of us!
>> Source: Bitter Winter
