Persians celebrate Nowruz, also known as the New Year, on the first day of spring, which occurs on Sunday at 8:33 a.m. this year.
Nowruz, which means “new day” in English, is an ancient Iranian New Year’s celebration. The Zoroastrian faith, which is considered to be the world’s oldest religion, inspired the celebration, which dates back over 3,000 years.
Nowruz is primarily observed in Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq’s Kurdish areas, Turkey, as well as by Parsis in India and diaspora communities worldwide.
When is Nowruz 2022?
Persians celebrate Nowruz, also known as the New Year, on the first day of spring, which occurs on Sunday at 8:33 a.m. this year.
Why is Nowruz celebrated and what is the story behind it?
In an article for The Conversation, Pardis Mahdavi, Dean of Social Sciences at Arizona State University, stated that “the celebration of Nowruz dates back to at least the 11th century A.D.”
The celebration is centered on the story of Ruler Jamshid, an ancient king.
“King Jamshid noticed that his citizens plunged into darkness during the long, gloomy winter months as the Earth attempted to recover itself from the harvests of the fall,” Mahdavi adds.
The king wished to honour the start of the new year – a time of new beginnings for people and the Earth – when spring finally arrived and the Earth began to blossom after the healing season of winter.”
read more: Google Doodle Wishes Happy Nowruz; History & Significance
How Nowruz is celebrated?
Nowruz is observed in a variety of ways. Nowruz celebration includes joining hands and jumping aroud fires in a event known as “Scarlet Wednesday”.
According to an old story, when spring flowered, the ancient King Jamshid noted how belligerent his subjects had become throughout the winter months.
He created a holiday named Shab-e-Charshanbeh Souri, which means “Scarlet Wednesday,” to commemorate the end of the gloomy darkness of winters.
Jumping over a succession of fires is a festive practise brought by the Zoroastrians, who revered fire as a symbol of eternal vigour and health.
“The concept behind Shab-e-Charshanbeh Souri is to jump over the fires to purify oneself of the physical, emotional, and societal ills of the previous year” Mahdavi explains.
“It’s a means of getting ready for the rebirth that Nowuz brings with itsel. It’s also a time of forgiving others. Joining hands to jump over the flames is one method to heal the rifts that threaten to split families all across the world.”
Nowruz Customs
Cleaning the house and going shopping
Before the coming of Nowruz, it is customary to clean the home or shake the house. People begin preparing for Nowruz by cleaning their homes thoroughly and purchasing new clothes to wear on the New Year and also buy flowers. Hyacinths and tulips are attractive and noticeable flowers for the Nowruz.
Visits to relatives and friends
People are supposed to pay brief visits to family, friends, and neighbours during the Nowruz holidays. In most cases, young people will pay their elders a visit first, and the elderly will pay them a visit afterwards. Tea, pastries, biscuits, fresh and dried fruits, mixed nuts, and other refreshments are offered to visitors. As a method of dealing with the enormous distances between groups of friends and family, many Iranians hold big Nowruz parties.
Haft-Sin
Traditionally, family members assemble around the Haft-sin table before Nowruz to wait for the exact moment of the March equinox to celebrate the New Year. According to the Zend-Avesta,religious texts of Zoroastrianism, the number seven and the letter S are linked to the seven Ameshasepantas.
They are concerned with the four elements of Fire, Earth, Air, and Water, as well as the three life forms of Humans, Animals, and Plants. In recent times, the Haft-sin (Persian: seven things starting with the parsi letter seen (س)) are: Sabze (wheat, barley, mung bean, or lentil sprouts grown in a dish), Samanu (sweet pudding made from wheat germ), Senjed (Persian olive), Serke (Vinegar), Sib (Apple), Sir (Garlic), Somāq (Sumac).
A mirror, candles, painted eggs, a bucket of water, goldfish, money, hyacinth, and traditional confectioneries may also be seen on the Haft-sin table. A “book of knowledge” such as the Quran, Bible, Avesta, the Šāhnāme of Ferdowsi, or the divān of Hafez also be included.
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