Eggs

One of the main symbols of the Last Tuesday is the egg, which is considered the defining feature of the holiday feast and khonchas. Eggs are symbolic for two reasons: because eggs are painted to represent the seasons - the natural white colour as winter, green for spring, red for summer and yellow for autumn – and because the round form of the egg and its shell are also symbols of the earth - the outer casing as air, the egg white as water and the yoke as the sun. This egg-based concept of the world was significant in the beliefs of the Zoroastrian religion.

On the evening of Last Tuesday people put an egg in the wardrobe together with red and black paint and make a wish. In the morning, if the egg has red spots it signals good luck and that wishes will come true, while black spots on the egg are interpreted as a sign of misfortune.

The Novruz Tuesday traditions, rituals and entertainment have an important role in the culture of Azerbaijan. They are rooted in the distant past and reflected in historical and archaeological findings such as the rock drawings of Qobustan. Like those rock carvings, these ancient traditions, still performed over the four Tuesdays in the month leading up to Novruz, reflect the thoughts, philosophy and visions of the ancient peoples living on the territory of Azerbaijan regarding nature, art and life.

About the author: Tahir Shahbazov works at the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Science and has written many articles on the ethnology of Azerbaijan.