Sada — А message of light from the depths of history

Sada — А message of light from the depths of history

Today, on 30 January 2026, at the State Institution “National Museum” of the Executive Office of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, a republican scientific and theoretical conference entitled “Sada — a Message of Light from the Depths of History” was held in honor of one of the most ancient festivals of the Tajik people — Sada, with the participation of a wide range of specialized scholars and researchers.

The conference was attended by, and featured scholarly presentations from: the Director of the National Museum Zafarsho Safo Ibrohimzoda; Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan Yusufshoh Yakubov; Director of the Research Institute of Culture and Information of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tajikistan, Candidate of Philological Sciences Abdulfattoh Aminzoda; Head of the Folklore Department of the Rudaki Institute of Language and Literature of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, Candidate of Philological Sciences Abdulamin Majnunov; Leading Researcher at the A. Donish Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnology of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, Candidate of Historical Sciences Mumina Shovalieva; Researcher at the same institute Masnav Navruzbekov; as well as the Head of the Department for the Protection and Use of Historical and Cultural Heritage of the central office of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tajikistan Savriddin Saidzoda.

In addition, the event was attended by staff members of the National Museum, faculty and students of the Mirzo Tursunzade State Institute of Culture and Arts of Tajikistan, as well as representatives of the mass media.

During the scientific and theoretical conference, scholars and researchers presented papers on the following topics: “Sada as a Herald of the Navruz Festival,” “Sada as a National and Popular Festival,” “Sada as a Festival of Ancient Farmers,” “The Calendar of the Sada Festival in Tajikistan (Based on Ethnographic Materials),” and “The Sada Festival in Historical Sources.”

Sada is regarded as one of the most ancient festivals of the Aryan peoples and, in its essence, symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, warmth over cold, and good over evil. In the Republic of Tajikistan, the Sada festival is officially celebrated annually at the end of January and heralds the conclusion of winter and the cold season. Sada is observed fifty days and nights prior to the celebration of Navruz and announces the approach of spring and the beginning of agricultural activities.

It should be noted that the Founder of Peace and National Unity — Leader of the Nation, President of the Republic of Tajikistan, His Excellency Emomali Rahmon, pays special attention to the preservation and reverence of the customs, traditions, and rituals of our ancestors and repeatedly emphasizes that, alongside pride in their globally recognized heritage, we must act as its custodians—studying, developing, and transmitting it to future generations as a priceless treasure that shapes national identity. In his most recent Address to the Majlisi Oli, the Leader of the Nation emphasized that Navruz, Mehrgon, Sada, and Tirgon, which embody the ideals of humanism and respect for nature and reflect the traditions of statehood of our Aryan ancestors—who played a significant role in the history of humanity—constitute the foundation of the identity and cultural originality of the Tajik people.

It should be recalled that on 6 December 2023, at the 18th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO, the festival “Sada” was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

At the conclusion of the event, a discussion and exchange of views among conference participants took place on the theme “Sada — a Message of Light from the Depths of History.”