Celebrated by greater than 300 million folks worldwide, Nowruz is a 3,000-year-old custom cherished in Iran, Afghanistan, all through Central Asia and past. However what makes it particular?
Nowruz marks the arrival of spring in Iran but in addition the start of the brand new yr. The identical is true in Afghanistan, the place the competition serves because the official begin of the photo voltaic calendar.
The exact second of the brand new yr, generally known as “yr supply,” is set by astronomical calculations. It happens on the spring equinox, when day and evening are practically equal within the Northern Hemisphere. Annually, this timing is calculated all the way down to the very second.
If the brand new yr happens earlier than midday, that very same day is taken into account the primary day of the Iranian photo voltaic calendar. If it falls after midday, the brand new yr begins the next day.
For instance, in 2025, the brand new yr in Iran will happen at 12:31:30 PM native time (10:01:30 AM CET). Consequently, March 21, 2025, would be the first day of the 1404 photo voltaic yr within the Iranian calendar.
This technique of exact astronomical calculations was developed by Omar Khayyam, the famend Iranian astronomer, poet, and thinker. He additionally performed a key function in creating the Jalali calendar, which stays the idea of Iran’s present photo voltaic calendar. The start line of this calendar is the Hijra – the migration of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in 622 AD.
The Origins of Nowruz
Nowruz dates again over 3,000 years and has its roots within the historical Persian Empire and the Zoroastrian calendar.
For Zoroastrians, Nowruz marks the creation of the world (Giti) and humankind. Throughout the Achaemenid period, the competition was celebrated with nice splendor at Persepolis, the place kings welcomed envoys and acquired presents from throughout their huge empire. In truth, historic proof means that one in every of Persepolis’ major features was to host Nowruz celebrations.
The Zoroastrian faith, which predates the Achaemenid dynasty, performed a big function in shaping the traditions of Nowruz. Nonetheless, over the centuries, the competition has advanced right into a secular celebration, embraced by numerous ethnic and cultural teams.
Its endurance lies in its highly effective symbolism – the triumph of sunshine over darkness and the promise of recent beginnings, each in nature and within the human spirit.
Who celebrates Nowruz?
Right this moment, extra 300 million folks worldwide rejoice Nowruz, marking not solely the beginning of the brand new yr but in addition the celebration of life and the triumph of sunshine over darkness.
Initially bringing collectively the peoples of Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia (together with Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan), Nowruz has unfold throughout the Caucasus, the Balkans, and different areas. It embodies a shared heritage of customs, traditions, and values, and holds specific significance for Kurds.
In 2009, Nowruz was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Listing, and the next yr, the UN Basic Meeting handed a decision declaring March 21 as Worldwide Nowruz Day, recognising its function in selling peace and unity worldwide.
How is Nowruz Celebrated?
Nowruz encompasses a wealthy number of traditions that change by area. Some customs happen simply earlier than the New Yr, whereas others proceed for as much as two weeks after. All through all these celebrations, the themes of renewal and hope stay central.
Spring Clear and Renewal
On the eve of Nowruz, as spring approaches, households totally clear their houses. This ‘spring clear’ or ‘dusting away of the previous’ is a symbolic act representing a recent begin and the purification of each bodily and religious areas.
Moreover, these celebrating Nowruz usually buy new garments, additional emphasising the spirit of renewal and new beginnings.
The Desk of Seven Symbols
The Haft-Sin tablecloth is a central factor of Nowruz, notably in Iran. Artfully organized, it options seven objects, whose names start with the letter “S” in Persian. Every merchandise represents completely different features of life:
- Sabzeh (wheat or lentil sprouts) symbolises rebirth, infancy, and life.
- Samanu (a candy pudding constituted of wheat germ) represents abundance and blessings.
- Senjed (dried fruit from the Senjed tree) symbolises love.
- Seer (garlic) represents well being and therapeutic.
- Seeb (apples) symbolise health and beauty.
- Somāq (sumac) signifies the victory of fine over evil and the rising solar.
- Serkeh (vinegar) symbolises persistence, getting old, and the passage of time.
Along with these principal symbols, different objects beginning with “S” could also be included, equivalent to hyacinths and a clock.
The Haft-Sin desk is usually embellished with mirrors, candlesticks, colored eggs, and pink fish, which symbolize the passing of the twelfth and last zodiac signal, Pisces.
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It is usually frequent to position a Divan of Hafez’s poems or the Qur’an on the desk. Many households have a convention of randomly opening the e book and studying a poem or verse, looking for steerage for the yr forward.
Hearth Rituals
In lots of areas, folks participate in fire-related celebrations, equivalent to “Chaharshanbe Suri” or ‘Crimson Wednesday’ in Iran.
This celebration, on the final Tuesday earlier than Nowruz, includes households gathering round a fireplace and leaping over it. The act symbolises cleaning, renewal, and liberation from previous sorrows, whereas embracing the heat and vitality of the spring season.
Conventional Meals
Meals performs a significant function throughout Nowruz, with particular dishes ready and shared amongst household and associates. In Iran, households rejoice the arrival of spring on the primary day of Nowruz by having fun with dishes like vegetable pilaf and sabzi polow (herbed rice), usually served with fish.
A standout function of the Nowruz feast is somālak (also called sumanak), a candy dessert. Slowly cooked over a number of hours, somālak symbolises the gradual but sure arrival of spring and the promise of recent beginnings.
Visiting Pals and Household
Throughout Nowruz, it’s customary to go to family and friends. Youthful members of the family historically go to their dad and mom and older kin to want them a cheerful New Yr and rejoice the arrival of spring.
In return, elders usually give presents, sometimes within the type of aidi (money), identified regionally as da’di, as an emblem of blessing.
In Zoroastrian tradition, this ritual represents mahrūrzai, a profound respect for the older era.
Throughout these visits, households normally provide company quite a lot of snacks, equivalent to nuts (together with pistachios, almonds, and dried fruits) and varied pastries. Nonetheless, this custom is slowly fading in Iran because of the rising price of residing.
‘Nature Day’
Siyez-e Badr is an historical Iranian custom celebrated on the thirteenth day of April, also called ‘Nature Day’. It marks the conclusion of the Nowruz festivities and is usually a time when folks depart their houses to spend the day outside.
Whereas the quantity 13 is usually linked to unhealthy luck in Iranian tradition, this custom of leaving the home is extra intently related to celebrating the pure world and the tip of Nowruz, fairly than any superstitions with the quantity itself.