Saturday, March 06, 2010 at 7:00 PM Celebrate the Central Asian New Year at the Embassy of Uzbekistan Enjoy a traditional Uzbek dance performance and delectable Uzbek dinner buffet while learning about the rich history and culture of Uzbekistan Event Details We cordially request the pleasure of your company for a very special opportunity to experience Navruz, the Central Asian New Year celebration, at the Embassy of Uzbekistan. The New Year in any country is a time of renewal and revival, filled with expectations of hope, peace, and prosperity, and all of these expressed in Navruz. Discover the traditions of Uzbekistan, combined with rich history, cultural heritage, delicious cuisine, an above all, warm and friendly people. Your evening features a dinner buffet feast of traditional Uzbek delicacies, a performance of Uzbek women’s dances by the award-winning Silk Road Dance Company, as well as a wonderful opportunity to tour the embassy’s rare collection of beautiful paintings and art pieces as you meet people from Uzbekistan and other ICDC members. The embassy staff will be on hand to provide information about the history, future, and culture of modern Uzbekistan. :: Exhibition of Beautiful Paintings and Other Artifacts :: :: Enchanting Traditional Uzbek Dance Performance :: :: Dinner Reception :: For all nations, spring is a time of natural revival and renovation, a period of expectations and hope for peace between people, for bumper harvest in the fields and gardens and good increase in livestock, and for love and consent in the family. All these expectations are embodied in spring festival Navruz. Dinner Menu Please note that the dinner buffet menu presented below is subject to change. Samsa Baked flaky paste stuffed with chopped beef and pumpkin Chebureki – Fried paste with beef stuffing Fried rice "Plov" Fried rice with your choice of pieces of lamb Meat Dumplings "Manti" – Chopped lamb with onions wrapped into thin layers of dough Juicy Chicken Roulette Marinated and baked chicken roulette stuffed with parsley, cheese, butter and seasonings Carrot Salad Carrots, onions, spices Pomegranate Bracelet Salad Pre-plated layers of chicken breast, potatoes, carrots, beets, eggs, pomegranate, and walnuts Sunflower Salad Pre-plated layers of chicken breast, mushrooms, mayo, eggs, cheese, olives serving Vegetarian Salad Steamed eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, green beans tossed with olive oil and vinegar Spring Rolls – Boiled chicken, shrimp and greenery in a spring roll wrapper Desert pastry Fresh Fruit Display – assortment of seasonal fruit display About Navruz In Persian, Navruz means “new day”, or “a new day of the new year,” to be precise. This day is celebrated on March 21st, which is the day of the vernal equinox, and it symbolizes the beginning of the calendar year in such countries as Iran, Afghanistan, the Kurdish regions of Iraq and Turkey, and in some countries in Central Asia. In Uzbekistan, Navruz is considered to be a state holiday; however, the official New Year’s Day is celebrated in accordance with the European calendar. It was only after Uzbekistan became an independent state that Navruz gained huge popularity. It is significant that in one of first acts of the new state, authorities imparted the status of nationwide state holiday to Navruz. As any celebration of New Year’s Day, Navruz is, first of all, a merry festival. Requested Attire Business or cocktail attire is requested. Tickets and Registration Tickets are only $55 for a limited time and $65 afterwards. Please reserve your tickets soon, as capacity at the embassy is limited. Cancellation Policy Please note that all online ticket sales are final. We are unable to offer cancelations or refunds on line ticket purchases. Address Embassy of Uzbekistan 1746 Massachusetts Avenue Northwest Washington, DC 20036-1903