persian new year

Nowruz is the celebration of spring. The Iranian scientist, Tusi, said nowruz is always the day on which the sun enters Aries before noon.

This is the time of year that sunlight is evenly divided between the north and south hemispheres and it is called spring equinox. It is the first day of Farvardin, the first month of the Iranian solar calendar.

history

Nowruz is made up of two words; Now or no meaning new and ruz or rooz meaning day, which when put together means new day. This event has been celebrated for almost seven thousand years by people in Iran and the ones in Central Asian countries, former parts of ancient Persian empire.

According to Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, Jamshid, who was a mystical king of Persia, defied darkness, and saved humanity from long winter; so, people celebrate this new day with hope and happiness

In some stories Amu Nowruz, who is characterized as an elderly silver-haired man and wears a felt hat and linen trousers and has a walking stick, a long cloak of blue canvas, a sash, a pair of thin-soled giveh, brings the spring to the world. This character is also a symbol of one of the heroes of Shahnameh known as Zaal.

Today, this is the world's only event that is celebrated at the exact same moment throughout the world. The celebration is not connected to religion and is based on astronomical celestial events.

celebrtion

The celebration of Nowruz starts a few weeks before the holiday with khaneh-tekani, which is translated as house-shaking (spring cleaning) and shopping and baking and most importantly planting wheat or lentil.

On the night of the last Tuesday and the following morning of the last Wednesday of the year, a fire festival called Chaharshanbe Suri is arranged. On this night, seven bonfires are lit and people gather around to jump over each bonfire and sing a little saying “my yellowness for you and your redness for me”, meaning that one gives their sickness to the fire and receives health and warmth . People also sing and dance while lighting fireworks and eating food.

Haji Firuz (sidekick character of Amu Nowruz), dressed in red clothes with a dark-painted face coming to streets, sings, plays instruments, and entertains people.

During ancient times, this pre-celebration was arranged in order to announce people that Nowruz was near.

After the household work is finished, the ceremonial Nowruz spread is prepared. This spread is called Haftseen, meaning seven S's.

On 20th or 21st March, all members of the family gather around the Nowruz spread in their new clothes and wait for the moment of the spring and it doesn’t matter if it is at noon or 3 a.m. At this moment, hugs and kisses are shared and gifts are exchanged. Traditional food is prepared and eaten. Instruments are played and the home is full of joy.

The Nowruz celebrations ends on the thirteenth day with an event called Sizdeh Bedar. On this day, families arrange picnics and spend time in parks and in the nature while enjoying the arrival of spring. It is also a tradition to bring the sown wheat of the Haftsin and throw it into a river or a lake.