Today begins the traditional Kazakh celebration of Nauryz, an important and ancient holiday celebrated by Kazakhs and other Central Asian ethnic groups (and, I’m told, certain Eastern Slavic groups) for many centuries. I cannot do justice to the importance placed upon this national holiday in Kazakhstan so I am providing a link below which discusses, in general terms, the history and significance of the Nauryz national holiday celebrated in Kazakhstan. There are several other worthy sites, and I would encourage you to spend some time between watching NCAA Tournament games–which are blowing up your brackets anyway–surfing for more information on this important historical holiday!