DUSHANBE, December 13, 2012, Asia-Plus — Like the previous year, Tajikistan will celebrate New Year’s Day this year as well, Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloyev, Chairman of the Majlisi Milli (Tajikistan’s upper chamber of parliament), noted at a session of the Majlisi Milli in Dushanbe on December 13.
According to him, a New Year tree will be installed at the center of Dushanbe and New Year’s performances for children will be held.
“By saying that New Year’s Day is the Christian holiday, editor-in-chief of the website of the Islamic Revival Party (IRP) has shown that he does not know the history of New Year’s Day,” the Majlisi Milli speaker said.
Ubaidulloyev noted that New Year’s Day originated from the modern Georgian calendar. “New Year’s Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar,” the parliament speaker said.
With most countries using the Gregorian calendar as their main calendar, New Year”s Day is the closest thing to being the world”s only truly global public holiday, often celebrated with fireworks at the stroke of midnight as the new year starts.
In Tajikistan, like other former republics of the Soviet Union, the celebration of New Year’s Day is greeted by fireworks and drinking champagne. The New Year is considered a family celebration, with lavish food and gifts.
We will recall that Mr. Muhibullo Qurbon, editor-in-chief of IRP’s official website applied to the Dushanbe mayor’s office last month, proposing not to install the New Year’s Tree in the center of the city and not to organize the New Year’s show in the central square of Dushanbe.
The editor noted that it must be admitted that to celebrate New Year’s is alien to the overwhelming people of Tajikistan, who are Muslims. He expressed perplexity over the fact that the authorities of Tajikistan, which as a matter of fact is the Muslim country, ban the muezzins” call to prayer through loudspeakers but sometimes come forward in defense of traditions that are alien to the majority of the population, “and celebration of Christian New Year is among such traditions.”
Commenting on his proposal, Muhibullo Qurbon told Asia-Plus in an interview on November 15 that it would be better to use funds allocated for installation of the New Year’s tree and organization of the New Year’s show for purchase of New Year’s presents and food products for elderly people who do not have relatives to support and children from vulnerable families. “I recently read on the Internet that Brussels replaced the popular Christmas tree exhibit at the city center due to concerns that it may offend the local Muslim population,” Muhibullo Qurbon added.
