March Comes in Like a Lion

Aylin Öney Tan

It was happening again. It was snowing like winter on the day it was supposed to be for celebrating spring. Actually, what we used to think of being abnormal, might be the new normal now. On a normal March 21st, one expects to go out in fields and gardens to celebrate the coming of spring. Afterall Nowruz, or Nevruz in Turkish, is the biggest spring festival in a vast geography stretching across Asia to Anatolia and the Balkans. Literally meaning the new day, it signifies the new day of the coming new year which blooms with spring.

This year, just as I was prepared to go out to feel the spring air, I woke up to see that our garden in Ankara was blanketed in white again. That felt quite awkward as I was also about to write my annual Nevruz article. And then, Facebook reminded me that 13 years ago on March 23, I shared pictures of the garden, again covered with snow. And then, as I searched back, here in this newspaper on March 24, 2021, the headline news was titled “Unexpected snowfall hits Turkey’s metropolises.” It seems that such spring snows have been happening recurrently in recent years, indicating that such a snowfall by the end of March might not be as unexpected as one thinks. Actually, we all have a saying for the so called “unexpected” freeze of the month March. In Turkish we say: “Mart kapıdan baktırır, kazma kürek yaktırır,” meaning that March makes such freezing cold that makes you peek out the door and makes you burn even the wood handles a pickaxe and shovel. That really might be the case in rural remote Anatolia. In English, the very same saying is expressed in a more poetic way: March Comes in Like a Lion! However, it continues as “… it goes out like a lamb.” It seems that it is the other way round now, early March is in like a lamb, with spring in the air, and later it turns into a frightening lion, making people shiver.

In the continental climate zone stretching from Asia to Europe, where four seasons are observed in their full swing, the arrival of spring is a joyous occasion in every way. Even though most of the country is still buried under snow, the coming of spring is worth celebrating. Nature comes to life as the days get longer. The countryside gets lush and verdant, trees sprout with buds. The spring equinox is a cause for festivities in all cultures, and spring holidays are celebrated with special foods. Spring means the birth of lambs, the abundance of milk for animals and a sudden increase in the laying of eggs by chickens, which might be why eggs play a leading role in spring festivals. Eggs symbolize the rebirth of life in all cultures and religions. From Nowruz to Easter, dyed boiled eggs are tossed with joy in all spring festivals.

Starting next week, Christians will also celebrate Easter. For the Western world, Easter will start on March 31 this year, while the Orthodox will celebrate it on May 5, which falls around the time of Hıdrellez, another major spring festival in Türkiye and the Balkans. Beautifully dyed eggs, egg-shaped candies, chocolates, special Easter cakes have already started to decorate the windows of bakeries. The similarities between Easter and Nowruz are surprising. The egg is not the only common symbol. During Nowruz, especially in Central Asian countries, braided breads similar to Easter breads are quite common. Some countries and regions germinate wheat for Easter, just like it is done in Nowruz, and there are always new greens on the Nowruz table, if you ever wonder why spinach is so common in Easter and Pesah feasts. In fact, all of these traditions have stemmed from ancient Shamanic and Pagan cultures celebrating seasons and the agrarian calendar, eventually with the cultural interaction across centuries, these traditions passed down from generation to generation. Nowruz dates back to the 7th century B.C. and is believed to mark one of the holiest days of the ancient Zoroastrian calendar. Easter is celebrated as the rebirth of the crucified Jesus Christ. In essence, it is the rebirth of nature itself, the awakening of nature.

Nowruz has expanded to include the social, religious and cultural influences of different geographies. Nowruz celebrations, traditions and rituals were included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2009. Initially, there were 7 countries on the list, including Azerbaijan, India, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan. However, many other countries did not want to be left off the list and applied to be included, claiming that Nowruz was also an important time in their own cultures. In 2016, Afghanistan, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan were also included, and this year, Mongolia is also in the process of joining.

Although Nowruz traditions and customs vary from country to country, there are many common features. In many countries, Nowruz is celebrated not for a single day but for a week, and as in the case of Iran, it can even spread over weeks with spring cleaning beforehand. Spring cleaning is a must in all cultures, houses are cleaned from top to bottom, from corner to corner. Everyone wears clean and, if possible, new clothes. Wearing white is also a practice not uncommon, or at least wearing a new white head scarf for women is considered to be lucky. People go out to the countryside and jump over fires and streams to get rid of troubles and purify themselves. In many places, bundles of germinated green wheat sprouts are adorned with the dried fruits and nuts of the previous year, so as to make space for the new fruits of the new year. In Iran, red ornamental fish in a glass bowl are placed on the table because fish symbolize fertility and plenty. As seen, from Nowruz to Easter, the traditions that call for abundance and the foods of the spring festival are surprisingly similar in many cultures. Actually, what is celebrated is hope; with the return of spring to the world, the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness and joy over sorrow is celebrated. Surprisingly one mutual symbol in all cultures is definitely the egg!

Recipe of the week:

So, to celebrate spring, let’s toss an egg dish. My all-time favorite is “Çılbır,” famed as “Turkish eggs” poached eggs in a garlicky yogurt sauce with a generous pour of sizzling spicy paprika butter. Crush a garlic clove with half a teaspoon of salt, mix with a full cup of full-fat yogurt until creamy. Let stand at room temperature. Break a fresh Ramadan pide into bite-sized chunks and arrange on a serving platter. Poach two eggs per person for three minutes until the egg whites are set but the yellows are still runny. Place eggs on pide chunks and cover with cover with garlic yogurt. Heat two to three tablespoons of butter with a generous pinch of paprika and chili flakes. Just as it starts to foam up, drizzle over the eggs. Serve while still warm.

Egg of the Week:

Easter is also the time for chocolate, or chocolate-eggs more precisely. Many countries make egg-shaped chocolates for Easter celebrations. In countries like Italy and Spain, these chocolate eggs are really important and can even be a showcase of rivalry among pastry chefs. Of course, chocolate eggs are a favorite of children. Tiny eggs are wrapped in gilded paper, with huge eggs sometimes containing toys and sometimes smaller chocolate eggs. This year Eataly in Istanbul has made stylish sculpturesque Easter eggs, so it’s worthwhile to check out.