It is the end of 2025. All peoples of the world are in a festive mood. For some, the year-end is New Year, for others, it is Christmas, celebrated as the birth of Jesus. The New Year holiday has become more fashionable among Christians. In reality, however, it originated from ancient Turkic customs and traditions. In other words, Christians adopted the New Year holiday from the Turks.
The tradition of decorating fir trees among Turks has existed since ancient times...
The white fir (Ağcaşam) tree grows in the very center of the Earth – in Central Asia.
Ancient Turks also called it the tree of life. You can see this tree as an image in all our carpets, kilims, and embroideries.
The Sun is very important for Turks. According to their belief, on December 22, when nights lengthen and days shorten, night and day collide.
After a long struggle, on December 22, day defeats night and emerges victorious.
This is the victory and rebirth of the Sun, which Turks celebrate with great festivities under the white fir tree.
For this very reason, December 22 is very significant for Turks.
The rebirth of the Sun is considered a new birth of life.
Turkic communities call this holiday NARDUGAN (nar means sun, duğan means born), i.e., Sun's birth.
Although the name of the holiday changes according to different Turkic peoples and their dialects, its form remains unchanged. For example: Tatars call this holiday “Koyaş tuğa” (meaning “Sun born”), Bashkirs and Udmurts call it “Nardugan” or “Mardugan,” Chuvash call it “Nartavan” or “Nartuken.”
Ancient Turks prayed to Tengri Ülgen for returning the Sun.
To ensure their prayers reached Tengri, they placed gifts under the tree: tying colorful threads to its branches, they wished for their desires for that year from Tengri...
For this holiday, homes were cleaned, and beautiful clothes were worn. Songs were sung around the tree, qopuz was played, dances were performed, and various entertainments were organized.
They visited the elders – grandfathers and grandmothers. They gathered with them, ate fresh and dried fruits, special dishes, sweets, and celebrated (the figures of Santa Claus and Snow Maiden are also derived from this).
According to beliefs, if the holiday was celebrated with relatives gathered together, people's lives would be prolonged, and happiness would increase.
The white fir tree grows only in Central Asia.
Arabs did not know this tree. The growth of this tree in Palestine is not possible due to the climate. In this case, the tradition of decorating a fir tree has no connection to the birth of Jesus.
Ancient Turks, however, regarded the white fir tree as a symbol of immortality.
Some historical sources also state that this holiday passed from Turks to Christians, adopted from the Huns who went to Europe.
Thus, this holiday has no connection with the birth of Jesus. It is believed that this tradition passed to the Arabs from pre-Islamic Turks who migrated to Mesopotamia for various reasons, then spread from there to Europe via Anatolia, and is the New Year holiday that has reached us today. Christians changed the name of the Nardugan holiday, which they adopted from ancient Turks, and reintroduced it to the world as Christmas.
The Nardugan holiday is celebrated annually on the first full moon after December 22.
P.S. This year, the winter season entered Azerbaijan on December 21 at 19:03. With this, winter began in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere.
At this time, the Earth's axis of rotation formed the largest angle with the direction of the Sun, or the Sun was at its minimum height (26⁰.2) above the horizon at noon on that day. That day had the shortest day (day length 9 hours 17 minutes 22 seconds) and the longest night (night length 14 hours 42 minutes 38 seconds).
The length of the winter season will be 88 days 23 hours 42 minutes 52 seconds.
Happy Nardugan holiday!
Ə.Qafarlı
