Across the world, birthday customs are prevalent, but not in this nation.
Nearly everyone celebrates their birthday once a year. Since it signifies the beginning of a new chapter in their lives, most people look forward to it.
Mostly surrounded by Afghanistan, China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, Tajikistan is a nation in Central Asia. Rugged mountains ideal for hiking and climbing are a well-known feature of Tajikistan.
The legislation clearly states that birthday parties are forbidden, which is another well-known aspect of Tajikistan. In particular, celebrating a birthday somewhere other than in the privacy of your immediate family is forbidden by Article 8 of the Central Asian Republic’s code of traditions and customs.
This means if you have to mark your memorable dat at all, the law puts a limit on the number of guests you will be inviting for your birthday, the amount of money you intend to spend, and even the duration of each type of gathering.
A report by TheWeek says this was adopted in 2007 after President Emomali Rahmon, who had been in power for 21 years,. The president at the time insisted that the practice of big celebrations was putting a heavy strain on Tajik families, who would often go into debt to “keep up appearances.”
This law is fully in place, as in 2019, a man named Amirbek Isoev was arrested for “celebrating his birthday.” Isayev, at the time, had been seen in a Facebook photo sitting in a pub with a birthday cake.
In his defense, the man had claimed that it was a friends’ night out, and even a waiter from the pub told the court that it didn’t look like a planned celebration. Well, he still got fined for his actions.
Some reports also say Isoyev is not the only one who has been accused of breaking this law of not celebrating birthdays in Tajikistan. According to the News.tj website, this same law was violated 394 times in 2014 and possibly more over the years.