Azerbaijan celebrates Earth Tuesday before Novruz

Today, Azerbaijan celebrates Earth Tuesday, the last Tuesday before the Novruz holiday.

Unlike previous Tuesdays, people celebrate this day especially solemnly, Azernews reports.

The celebrations, which continue throughout the day, reach their peak in the evening.

On Earth Tuesday, ancestors paid tribute to Mother Earth, her riches, and her bounties. This day is full of various rituals that symbolise prosperity in the coming new year and liberation from adversity and troubles.

Previously, in villages, each family lit torches on the roof of their house, according to the number of family members. Today, instead of torches, candles are lit in houses according to the number of family members. Another tradition of the Last Tuesday celebration is fortune-telling on a ring.

According to popular beliefs, on this day, salt, water, money, bread, matches, oil, and dairy products should not be given from home.

Note that the first day of Novruz falls on the spring equinox on March 20-21. The holiday celebrates the arrival of spring and the start of a new year.