Azerbaijan-Vietnam cultural ties highlighted at Novruz celebrations in Hanoi
The Embassies of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan in Vietnam hosted a Novruz Bayram celebration, featuring traditional cuisine, performances, and cultural rituals.
THE HANOI TIMES — The celebration was hosted at the Hanoi College of Commerce and Tourism in Hanoi on March 19, offering a rich cultural and culinary showcase and highlighting the deep bonds between Azerbaijani and Vietnamese traditions.
The event attracts a large number of guests. Photos: Hoang Nam/The Hanoi Times
This year's celebration continued the tradition of honoring Vietnamese alumni who studied in Azerbaijan, strengthening the long-standing friendship between the two nations.
The event was attended by representatives of the Vietnamese government, members of the diplomatic corps, cultural and public figures, business leaders and media representatives, as well as Azerbaijani expatriates living in Vietnam.
Students greet guests in the traditional Vietnamese ao dai and Azerbaijani chokha.
Azerbaijan's Ambassador to Vietnam Shovgi Mehdizada said that Novruz shares many cultural similarities with Vietnamese Tet (the Lunar New Year). Both holidays are celebrated according to the lunar calendar and emphasize renewal, family reunions, and honoring ancestors.
Azerbaijan's Ambassador to Vietnam Shovgi Mehdizada speaks at the event.
Azerbaijan's own chef and Vice President of the World Barbecue Association, Don David, was joined by famous chefs from Turkey, Serbia, Northern Macedonia, and Mauritius to provide the rich tastes of Azerbaijan's cuisine.
Don David, an Azerbaijani chef and Vice President of the World Barbecue Association.
Guests enjoy traditional dishes such as pilaf, dolma, and lamb shashlik, as well as Novruz sweets such as pakhlava, shekerbura, and gogal.
Meals are served in buffet style.
Besides the culinary experience, the event included a cultural program with Azerbaijani and Vietnamese musical performances. Guests also participated in traditional Novruz customs, including the lighting of a bonfire, the ritual of jumping over flames, and the game of breaking eggs, all of which symbolize renewal, purification, and the welcoming of a prosperous new year.
The symbolic khoncha, a festive tray decorated with samani (sprouted wheat), sweets, nuts and decorated eggs, holds a place of honor at the event.
The Khoncha tray is carefully decorated.
Guests participate in the Novruz bonfire ritual (Tonqal qalamaq).
Guests take part in the traditional egg cracking game (Yumurta döyüşü).
Novruz, a centuries-old festival, marks the arrival of spring and symbolizes renewal and prosperity. Celebrated with great enthusiasm by Azerbaijanis around the world, the holiday brings families and communities together through traditional rituals, music, dance and festive meals.
Just as Novruz is celebrated with symbolic foods and fire-related traditions, Tet features the preparation of banh chung (sticky rice cake), the giving of red envelopes for good fortune, and vibrant celebrations with fireworks and dragon dances. These cultural parallels highlight the universal human appreciation for seasonal change and new beginnings.
