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THE NARDUGAN FESTIVAL AND ITS RITUALS
of the year arrives. After a long battle, light has conquered darkness.
The sky holds its breath; the earth falls silent.
It is at that threshold that Nardugan begins.
Tonight, darkness is not the enemy.
Darkness is the womb from which light will be born.
of
Ayaz Ata
Ayaz Ata is the silent guardian of this night. With his cold, he breaks, separates, and halts.
the excess so that the new may find a place.
Nardugan night, one stands outside for a few minutes. The cold is felt on the face, in the hands, and in the breath.
silently intends: “May everything that no longer serves me freeze and melt away.”
Yel Ana’s Breath
Wind is invisible but always passes through. She is the wind that carries intentions.
A window is left ajar. A candle is lit.
candle’s flame. The wind carries what is felt before it is spoken.
Life and the Red Ribbon
The tree is the axis where earth and sky meet. During Nardugan, one stands beside the Akçam tree or touches it.
red ribbon (cloth) is soaked in milk. It is tied to the tree without squeezing it. Strength, health, and abundance are sought.
This ribbon is not a wish; it is a reminder: “I am here, and I am committed to this cycle.”
Before the
Fire
fire is lit, or one stands before a candle.
fire; one stands facing it.
fire is not a source of heat but a witness. Old burdens are released from within.
of Water
A glass of water is prepared. One looks into it.
into being are whispered.
glass is covered and placed by the bedside. In the morning, it is drunk with the first light of day.
water carries what it has heard throughout the night.
Pomegranate and Abundance
pomegranate is the heart of this night. It symbolizes abundance, fertility, and refreshment.
First, it is cracked open. Then, its seeds are scattered. Finally, they are shared.
Each seed is a call to a new cycle and abundance.
Sound and Protection
Tonight, sound is as sacred as silence.
Bells, chimes, the sound of metal…
space is cleansed; boundaries are drawn. The darkest night of the year is also the most open door.
And on this night, laughter is also recommended. In ancient beliefs, laughter awakens the inner fire of the soul.
Ayaz Ata has frozen,
Yel Ana.
heartfelt laugh is considered a protective seal throughout the winter.
Nardugan is not a celebration, but a crossing of a threshold.
Ayaz Ata holds it back.
Yel Ana carries.
And the light dawns upon whoever is ready. May Nardugan be blessed.
