Translated with AI
At the end of January, Tajikistan will traditionally celebrate one of the most ancient holidays of the Tajik nation – the Sada Festival, reports NIAT Khovar.
The Garden Festival celebration, as well as the demonstration of agricultural seeds, will be held in accordance with the "Schedule of holidays and anniversaries, festivals, exhibitions, cultural and educational events and folk traditions in the Republic of Tajikistan for 2026," approved by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan dated January 2, 2026.
According to scholars, the Sada festival symbolizes the approach of Nowruz, the New Year of the Ancestors, and the arrival of spring. It is noted that Sada falls fifty nights and fifty days before Nowruz and serves as a reminder to farmers to prepare for the spring sowing and to properly welcome the New Year.
As the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Leader of the Nation, Emomali Rahmon, noted in his congratulatory message, "the Sada Festival heralds the arrival of spring, the readiness of the land for sowing, the end of the cold season, and the approach of Navruz—the New Year of the Ancestors."
As a reminder, on December 6, 2023, during the 18th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO, the joint nomination of the Republic of Tajikistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran "Sada Festival" was included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
During the period of State independence, on the initiative of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, the respected Emomali Rahmon, along with the two great national holidays – Navruz and Mehrgon – the Sada holiday was revived and widely celebrated.
As the Leader of the Nation emphasized, “Thanks to sovereignty, we are reviving the ancient values and good customs of our nation, developing them with the goal of raising the self-awareness of our compatriots and worthily representing our ancient people on the world stage, among which Shashmaqom, Falak, Navruz, Tirgon, Mehrgon and Sada occupy a special place.”
The Garden Festival, a symbol of the creation of life and the beginning of a new stage, has survived to this day since ancient times. It is a day of honoring light and warmth, a symbol of affection, love, friendship, and camaraderie, and is celebrated annually by the Tajik people, observing all their traditions.
