TURKMENISTAN AND THE NEW YEAR'S HOLIDAY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001666

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TAGS: PGOV SOCI PHUM TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN AND THE NEW YEAR'S HOLIDAY

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1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for Internet
distribution.

2. (SBU) SUMMARY: It is estimated that hundreds of thousands
of dollars are spent by the city of Ashgabat each year to
decorate the Turkmen capital for New Year's celebrations.
Locals have observed that this year there are more lights,
trees, and other New Year's decorations in Ashgabat than in
previous years. Although the mostly Muslim country does not
officially celebrate Western and Orthodox Christmas, the
Soviet-introduced custom of celebrating the New Year has
grown in popularity, years after the country gained
independence in 1991. While Turkmen have added their own
ethnic and religious flavors to the holiday, New Year's
remains a colorful, popular, secular occasion that shows no
sign of losing its prominence. END SUMMARY.

3. (SBU) The city of Ashgabat and other government offices
have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to decorate the
already well-lit Turkmen capital with New Year's trees,
lights, and other bright and shiny decorations. Many of the
evergreen trees planted in the city by order of former
President Niyazov and current President Berdimuhamedov have
been trimmed with lights. In addition, this year, some of
the lawns in front of government buildings have been
decorated with rows of multicolored lights, which give the
impression of rows of gems on a green background. On the
Presidential square in downtown Ashgabat, the 108-foot faux
pine tree is topped with a crescent moon and five stars, in
lieu of a traditional star. Images of Father Frost (Ded
Moroz in Russian and Ayaz Baba in Turkmen) and his
granddaughter (Snegurichka in Russian and Garpamyk in
Turkmen) abound throughout the city. The Turkmen version of
Father Frost and his granddaughter are dressed in traditional
Turkmen clothes, unlike the Russian Father Frost with a long
red coat (similar to Santa Claus) and his granddaughter's
long blue coat. Since Turkmen independence in 1991, Ayaz
Baba and Garpamyk have become more visible, especially in
rural areas, but the Russian versions remain very popular.
In Ashgabat, the Turkmen version predominates.

4. (SBU) President Berdimuhamedov recently repeated his wish
that the New Year be "elegantly" celebrated throughout the
country, and cities throughout the country continue to don
New Year's paraphernalia. When former President Niyazov died
on December 21, 2006, Berdimuhamedov ordered no break in New
Year's festivities, despite the traditional Muslim forty days
of mourning. It was reported that the celebrations that year
were unusually colorful. During Niyazov's latter years,
decorated trees and other New Years' paraphenalia were
discouraged. Turkmen generally mark the coming of the new
year by giving gifts to family, friends, and associates. In
addition, many households will gather around a decorated tree
on New Year's Eve at tables flush with food and often
alcohol. Some Turkmen Muslims recite traditional Islamic
after-dinner prayers as part of their New Year's celebration,
even if alcohol has been served.

5. (SBU) Nonetheless, some devout Muslims in Turkmenistan
strictly avoid celebrating the holiday, condemning the New
Year (or Christmas) tree as a non-Islamic, pagan symbol that
is, moreover, unrelated to Jesus Christ. In 1999, Turkmen
Muslim cleric Hoja Ahmet Orazgylych (clerical name -
Hojaahmet Ahun),in an interview with Radio Liberty, tried to
discourage Turkmen from including a New Year tree in their
New Year celebrations. Hojaahmet was known as the last
officially educated Ahun in Turkmenistan (a clerical rank
similar to a professor of theology). In 1988, he graduated
from the only open madrassa in the former Soviet Union in
Bukhara, Uzbekistan. Most Soviet Turkmen clerics, in
contrast, were self-taught and never studied or taught
outside of Turkmenistan.

6. (SBU) During his 1999 radio interview, Hojaahmet Ahun
reportedly stated that, during twenty four years of studying
the Quran, he never saw anything that permitted the
celebration of the New Year. Shortly after the interview,

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the GOTX reportedly charged Hojaahmet Ahun with fraud and
threatened to sentence him to twenty five years in prison.
Before a trial was held, former President Niyazov pardoned
Hojaahmet Ahun, but exiled him to his home village of
Gowky-Zeren in Tejen (located 230 km south of Ashgabat),
where he reportedly remains in exile.

7. (SBU) COMMENT: In the mostly Muslim country of
Turkmenistan, the Soviet-introduced New Year holiday remains
arguably the most celebrated holiday. Streets in Ashgabat
are buzzing with shoppers picking up gifts and food in order
to welcome the New Year. Turkemn TV is rife with scenes of
kids in toy stores or of New Years' parties with Ayaz Baba.
To date, the holiday remains mostly non-religious, and is
viewed as an opportunity for families and friends to gather.
Given that a well-known Muslim cleric remains in internal
exile for criticizing how the New Year is celebrated, it
seems likely that the New Year's celebrations in Turkmenistan
are here to stay. END COMMENT.
CURRAN