Navruz is a holiday of spring and renewal. Photo: Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan

The spring holiday of Navruz has remained an integral part of the life of many peoples of the East for thousands of years. 

In Uzbekistan, as in other Central Asian countries, Navruz is filled with even deeper meaning and content. This wonderful holiday has become truly nationwide and in Uzbekistan it unites representatives of more than 130 nations and nationalities living in the country into a single, cohesive family.

The United Nations declared March 21 the International Day of Navruz, it is included in the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Mankind by UNESCO. In Uzbekistan, Navruz is widely celebrated in all cities and regions of the country. By tradition, during the celebration of Navruz, people visit relatives and friends, and congratulate each other. Many aspects of this holiday have similarities with traditional Chinese Spring Festival. 

Festive Uzbek dishes like pilaf, cook samsa, chuchvara, halim and others are prepared in each family. But the main treat of the holiday is the sumalak dish, which is cooked on a wood fire from flour and sprouted wheat grains, sometimes with spices added. The sprouted grain is a symbol of life, warmth, abundance and health. On the eve of the holiday, a nationwide hashar on landscaping of the country is also held.

Today, the state pays great attention to environmental protection in Uzbekistan. Under the initiative of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, a nationwide program "Yashil Makon" was adopted in 2021 to green each city, mahali and streets. Within the framework of the project, they plan to plant 200 million seedlings annually throughout the country over the next five years.
 
85 million seedlings were planted last year. Many organizations, mahallas, and the general public of Uzbekistan took an active part in this action. In the spring of 2022, it is planned to plant another 125 million seedlings.

As a result of the implementation of such a large-scale initiative, the area of green spaces in the cities of Uzbekistan has now increased from 8 to 30 percent. At the same time, Uzbekistan announced the start of the national event "Green Year" on March 1 this year. As part of the implementation of this event, first of all, it is important to select seedlings suitable for the climate of each region, undemanding to water, increasing the number of nurseries for their harvesting. 

To this end, the State Forestry Committee of Uzbekistan was instructed to distribute 10 million seedlings of fruit and ornamental trees to the population free of charge, and the Committee on Highways was instructed to organize protective plantings along roads of international and national significance.