Villagers in Karajala, in the east of the country, celebrated Nowruz, a holiday marking spring equinox, which is widely celebrated by a large Azerbaijani community in Georgia, on March 21-22. They go out with their faces covered in masks and block the road until drivers bribe them to open traffic. Some features of Nowruz show similarities with Orthodox Easter traditions. Eggs are colored in red and then cracked. Corn shoots are grown on small saucers. In the evening, tables are set in all houses. Any person can enter the house with a mask and scare the family members. Scaring is one of the major traditions of the holiday. No one works during Nowruz. This day is for entertainment and celebration. In Georgia’s 2014 population census, 233,000 people (6.3%) reported Azerbaijani origin. Nowruz was declared as a national holiday in Georgia in 2010.