While Nauryz is not a religious holiday, its origins trace back to a religion called Zoroastrianism, which was practiced in modern-day Iran a long time ago and spread to Central Asia about 1,500 years ago. Zoroastrians considered the spring equinox (or day when the amount of night and day time were the same) to be the first day of the new year. Nauryz celebrates the same thing, though the tradition has changed a lot over the years.
Yes! One of the traditional foods eaten during Nauryz is called Наурыз көже (Nauryz kozhe [pronounced "koo-zhe"]). It is a soup made from 7 ingredients: meat, water, salt, grain, butter, flour and milk. A long time ago, when food was hard to find during the winter, these ingredients were often still available by spring. Consequently, they were (and still are!) used to make Nauryz kozhe. I tried the soup during the holiday and really enjoyed it!
