“Today is a new day

That repeats the weather,

Summer is born, warmth is born,

Ali is born, God himself is born.”

With these verses of our poet of the National Renaissance, Naim Frashëri, the Authority for Information on the Documents of the former State Security brings to celebrate today Nevruz Day, a celebration of the Bektashians that marks the revival of nature, the need for peace and solidarity.

The day symbolizes the reunification of families, the exchange of gifts and friendly visits. Preparations for the celebration of Nevruz in the believing families were accompanied by the purchase of new clothes, the wearing of costumes with silver and gold decorations.

Nevruz Day arrived in the Albanian lands together with the Bektashi faith, in the XV-XVI centuries. In the 20th century, this holiday has turned into a national event.

In 1967, the communist-atheist dictatorship in Albania closed all places of worship, including those of the Bektashi faith. In Albania, Nevruz Day was decreed as a national holiday in 1996.

From the documents found in the archive of the Authority, we are extracting the regulation of 1951 as well as the photo from the fourth congress of the Bektashi, file no. 22, with materials on the Bektashi community in Albania. About 44 clergymen of this religion suffered communist persecution, exile, torture in prison and death.

/a.p./