At the meeting of the Presidium of ANAS, the report was heard by the Director of the Institute of Folklore, Doctor of Sciences in Philology Hikmat Guliyev on the topic “Nowruz Holiday: Tradition and Modernity”.

Hikmat Guliyev noted that the Nowruz holiday, which embodied the system of national and spiritual values of the Azerbaijani people and vividly reflects their national and cultural identity, philosophy of life, spiritual world, aesthetic taste and beliefs, was an important and multifaceted cultural phenomenon that hold a special place in the historical and cultural memory of our people.

According to him, the support shown to the development of culture in the state policy of the Republic of Azerbaijan had created favorable conditions for the restoration, preservation and scientific study of customs and traditions associated with the Nowruz holiday. National Leader Heydar Aliyev’s deep knowledge of Azerbaijani culture and history and the importance he attached to national and spiritual values laid the foundation for important steps to be taken to protect and develop these values, both during the Soviet era and during the years of independence, including the celebration of the Nowruz holiday at the state level.

As a continuation of this policy, the speaker said that the Nowruz holiday was widely celebrated at the state level in modern times. The President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev’s Nowruz bonfire in Shusha, on the Jidir Plain in 2021 was evaluated as a symbolic event expressing the consistency of the state policy implemented to protect and promote national and spiritual values.

Doctor of Sciences in Philology Hikmat Guliyev noted at the end of his speech that in modern times, globalization processes, digital transformations and the rapid development of communication technologies make the manifestation of traditional ceremonial culture relevant in new social contexts. In this context, the study of modern transformation processes of customs and traditions, ceremonial behaviors, and forms of social communication related to the Nowruz holiday is of particular importance. Conducting research in this direction based on a multidisciplinary approach and implementing relevant scientific projects and research programs should be considered important tasks ahead.

Sharing his thoughts on the creation of the world, academician Isa Habibbeyli said that although the Nowruz holiday was celebrated in many countries. He noted that the issue of studying the Nowruz holiday in medieval Azerbaijani literature proposed by the speaker was a very important issue.

Taking into account the above the Presidium adopted a relevant decision.