Nowruz ( fa, نوروز, ; ), zh, 诺鲁孜节, ug, نەۋروز, ka, ნოვრუზ, ku, Newroz, he, נורוז, kk, Наурыз, ky, Нооруз, mn, Наурыз, ur, نوروز, tg, Наврӯз, tr, Nevruz, tk, Nowruz, uz, Navro'z is the Persian-language term for the day of the Iranian New Year, also known as the Persian New Year. It begins on the
spring equinox Spring equinox or vernal equinox or variations may refer to:
* March equinox, the spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere
* September equinox, the spring equinox in the Southern Hemisphere
Other uses
* Nowruz, Persian/Iranian new year which be ...
and marks the beginning of
Farvardin, the first month of the
Solar Hijri calendar (an
Iranian calendar used officially in
Iran and
Afghanistan). The day is celebrated worldwide by various ethnolinguistic groups and falls on or around the date of 21 March on the
Gregorian calendar.
The day of Nowruz has its origins in the
Iranian religion
Iranian religions also known as Persian religions are, in the context of comparative religion, a grouping of religious movements that originated in the Iranian (Persian) plateau (or Greater Iran).
Background
The beliefs, activities, and cultural ...
of
Zoroastrianism and is thus rooted in the traditions of the
Iranian peoples; however, it has been celebrated by diverse communities for over 3,000 years in
Western Asia,
Central Asia, the
Caucasus, the
Black Sea Basin
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...
, the
Balkans, and
South Asia. Presently, while it is largely a
secular holiday for most celebrants and enjoyed by people of several different faiths and backgrounds, Nowruz remains a holy day for Zoroastrians,
Baháʼís, and some
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
communities.
As the spring equinox, Nowruz marks the beginning of
spring
Spring(s) may refer to:
Common uses
* Spring (season), a season of the year
* Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy
* Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water
* Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a ...
in the
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the Equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined as being in the same celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the solar system as Earth's Nort ...
. The moment at which the
Sun crosses the
celestial equator and equalizes night and day is calculated exactly every year, and families traditionally gather together to observe the rituals.
While Nowruz has been celebrated since the
reform of the Iranian calendar in the 11th century CE to mark the new year, the
United Nations officially recognized the "International Day of Nowruz" with the adoption of Resolution 64/253 by the
United Nations General Assembly in February 2010.
Nowruz
The first day of the
Iranian calendar falls on the
March equinox, the first day of spring, around 21 March. In the 11th century CE the Iranian calendar was reformed in order to fix the beginning of the calendar year, i.e. Nowruz, at the vernal equinox. Accordingly, the definition of Nowruz given by the Iranian scientist
Tusi was the following: "the first day of the official New Year
owruzwas always the day on which the sun entered
Aries
Aries may refer to:
*Aries (astrology), an astrological sign
*Aries (constellation), a constellation of stars in the zodiac
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Aries'' (album), by Luis Miguel, 1993
* ''Aries'' (EP), by Alice Chater, 2020
* "Aries" ...
before noon." Nowruz is the first day of
Farvardin, the first month of the
Iranian solar calendar.
Etymology
The word is a combination of Persian words نو ''now''meaning "''new''"and روز ''ruz''meaning "''day''". Pronunciation varies among Persian dialects, with Eastern dialects using the pronunciation (as in Dari and Classical Persian, whereas in Tajik, it is written as "Наврӯз" ''Navröz''), western dialects , and
Tehranis . A variety of spelling variations for the word ''nowruz'' exist in English-language usage, including ''novruz'', ''nowruz'', ''navruz'', ''nauruz'' and ''newroz''.
Timing accuracy
Nowruz's timing in Iran is based on
Solar Hijri algorithmic calendar, which is based on precise astronomical observations, and moreover use of sophisticated intercalation system, which makes it more accurate than its European counterpart, the
Gregorian calendar.
Each 2820 year great grand cycle contains 2137 normal years of 365 days and 683 leap years of 366 days, with the average year length over the great grand cycle of 365.24219852. This average is just 0.00000026 (2.6×10
−7) of a day – slightly more than 1/50 of a second – shorter than
Newcomb's value for the mean
tropical year of 365.24219878 days, but differs considerably more from the current average vernal equinox year of 365.242362 days, which means that the new year, intended to fall on the vernal equinox, would drift by half a day over the course of a cycle.
As the source explains, the 2820-year cycle is erroneous and has never been used in practice.
Charshanbe Suri
Chaharshanbe Suri ( fa, چهارشنبهسوری, čahâr-šanbeh suri (lit. "Festive Wednesday") is a prelude to the
New Year. In Iran, it is celebrated on the eve of the last Wednesday before Nowruz. It is usually celebrated in the evening by performing rituals such as jumping over
bonfire
A bonfire is a large and controlled outdoor fire, used either for informal disposal of burnable waste material or as part of a celebration.
Etymology
The earliest recorded uses of the word date back to the late 15th century, with the Catho ...
s and lighting off
firecrackers and
fireworks.
In Azerbaijan, where the preparation for Novruz usually begins a month earlier, the festival is held every Tuesday during four weeks before the holiday of Novruz. Each Tuesday, people celebrate the day of one of the four elements – water, fire, earth and wind.
On the holiday eve, the graves of relatives are visited and tended.
Iranians sing the poetic line "my yellow is yours, your red is mine", which means my weakness to you and your strength to me ( fa, سرخی تو از من، زردی من از تو, sorkhi to az man, zardi man az to) to the fire during the festival, asking the fire to take away ill-health and problems and replace them with warmth, health, and energy.
Trail mix and
berries are also served during the celebration.
Spoon banging () is a tradition observed on the eve of Charshanbe Suri, similar to the
Halloween
Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...
custom of
trick-or-treating. In Iran, people wear
disguises and go door-to-door banging spoons against plates or bowls and receive packaged snacks. In Azerbaijan, children slip around to their neighbors' homes and apartments on the last Tuesday prior to Novruz, knock at the doors, and leave their caps or little basket on the thresholds, hiding nearby to wait for candies, pastries and nuts.
The ritual of jumping over fire has continued in Armenia in the feast of
Trndez, which is a feast of purification in the
Armenian Apostolic Church and the
Armenian Catholic Church, celebrated forty days after
Jesus's birth.
Sizdebedar
In Iran, the Nowruz holidays last thirteen days. On the thirteenth day of the New Year, Iranians leave their houses to enjoy nature and
picnic
A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding ...
outdoors, as part of the Sizdebedar ceremony. The greenery grown for the
Haft-sin setting is thrown away, particularly into a running water. It is also customary for young single people, especially young girls, to tie the leaves of the greenery before discarding it, expressing a wish to find a partner. Another custom associated with Sizdah Bedar is the playing of jokes and pranks, similar to
April Fools' Day
History and origin
Ancient roots
There exist various foundation myths for Nowruz in
Iranian mythology Iranian mythology or Iranic mythology may refer to any of the following mythologies of various Iranian peoples:
* Persian mythology
* Kurdish mythology
* Scythian mythology
** Ossetian mythology
* Azerbaijani mythology
See also
*Iranian religions ...
.
The
Shahnameh credits the foundation of Nowruz to the mythical Iranian King
Jamshid
Jamshid () ( fa, جمشید, ''Jamshīd''; Middle- and New Persian: جم, ''Jam'') also known as ''Yima'' (Avestan: 𐬫𐬌𐬨𐬀 ''Yima''; Pashto/Dari: یما ''Yama'') is the fourth Shah of the mythological Pishdadian dynasty of Iran acco ...
, who saves mankind from a winter destined to kill every living creature. To defeat the killer winter, Jamshid constructed a throne studded with gems. He had demons raise him above the earth into the heavens; there he sat, shining like the Sun. The world's creatures gathered and scattered jewels around him and proclaimed that this was the ''New Day'' (''Now Ruz''). This was the first day of
Farvardin, which is the first month of the
Iranian calendar.
Although it is not clear whether Proto-Indo-Iranians celebrated a feast as the first day of the calendar, there are indications that Iranians may have observed the beginning of both autumn and spring, respectively related to the harvest and the sowing of seeds, for the celebration of the New Year.
Mary Boyce and Frantz Grenet explain the traditions for seasonal festivals and comment: "It is possible that the splendor of the
Babylonian festivities at this season, led the Iranians to develop their own spring festival into an established New Year feast, with the name ''Navasarda'' "New Year" (a name which, though first attested through Middle Persian derivatives, is attributed to the Achaemenian period)."
Akitu
Akitu or Akitum is a spring festival held on the first day of Nisan in ancient Mesopotamia, to celebrate the sowing of barley. The Assyrian and Babylonian Akitu festival has played a pivotal role in the development of theories of religion, myth ...
was the Babylonian festivity held during the spring month of
Nisan
Nisan (or Nissan; he, נִיסָן, Standard ''Nīsan'', Tiberian ''Nīsān''; from akk, 𒊬𒊒𒄀 ''Nisanu'') in the Babylonian and Hebrew calendars is the month of the barley ripening and first month of spring. The name of the month is ...
in which Nowruz falls. Since the communal observations of the ancient Iranians appear in general to have been seasonal ones and related to agriculture, "it is probable that they traditionally held festivals in both autumn and spring, to mark the major turning points of the natural year."
[''A History of Zoroastrianism: Under the Achaemenians''
By Mary Boyce, Frantz Grenet. Brill, 1982
, pp. 3–4]
Nowruz is partly rooted in the tradition of
Iranian religions
Iranian religions also known as Persian religions are, in the context of comparative religion, a grouping of religious movements that originated in the Iranian (Persian) plateau (or Greater Iran).
Background
The beliefs, activities, and cultura ...
, such as
Mithraism
Mithraism, also known as the Mithraic mysteries or the Cult of Mithras, was a Roman mystery religion centered on the god Mithras. Although inspired by Iranian worship of the Zoroastrian divinity (''yazata'') Mithra, the Roman Mithras is linke ...
and
Zoroastrianism. In Mithraism, festivals had a deep linkage with the Sun's light. The Iranian festivals such as
Mehregan (
autumnal equinox),
Tirgan, and the eve of
Chelle ye Zemestan (
winter solstice) also had an origin in the Sun god (
Mithra). Among other ideas, Zoroastrianism is the first
monotheistic
Monotheism is the belief that there is only one deity, an all-supreme being that is universally referred to as God. Cross, F.L.; Livingstone, E.A., eds. (1974). "Monotheism". The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2 ed.). Oxford: Oxford ...
religion that emphasizes broad concepts such as the corresponding work of good and evil in the world, and the connection of humans to nature. Zoroastrian practices were dominant for much of the history of ancient Iran. In Zoroastrianism, the seven most important Zoroastrian festivals are the six
Gahambar
Zoroastrianism has numerous festivals and holy days, all of which are bound to the Zoroastrian calendar. The ''Shahenshahi'' and ''Kadmi'' variants of the calendar do not intercalate leap years and hence the day of the Gregorian calendar year on w ...
festivals and Nowruz, which occurs at the
spring equinox Spring equinox or vernal equinox or variations may refer to:
* March equinox, the spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere
* September equinox, the spring equinox in the Southern Hemisphere
Other uses
* Nowruz, Persian/Iranian new year which be ...
. According to
Mary Boyce, "It seems a reasonable surmise that Nowruz, the holiest of them all, with deep doctrinal significance, was founded by
Zoroaster himself"; although there is no clear date of origin. Between sunset on the day of the sixth Gahambar and sunrise of Nowruz,
Hamaspathmaedaya
Frawardigan is a ten-day period at the end of the Zoroastrian religious year during which the souls of the dead are commemorated.
The name ''frawardigan'' is a Zoroastrian Middle Persian () allusion to the ''fravashi''s, which—among other aspec ...
(later known, in its extended form, as ''Frawardinegan''; and today is known as ''Farvardigan'') was celebrated. This and the Gahambars are the only festivals named in the surviving text of the
Avesta.
The 10th-century scholar
Biruni, in his work ''Kitab al-Tafhim li Awa'il Sina'at al-Tanjim'', provides a description of the calendars of various nations. Besides the Iranian calendar, various festivals of Greeks, Jews, Arabs, Sabians, and other nations are mentioned in the book. In the section on the Iranian calendar, he mentions Nowruz,
Sadeh, Tirgan, Mehrgan, the six Gahambars, Farvardigan, Bahmanja,
Esfand Armaz and several other festivals. According to him, "It is the belief of the Iranians that Nowruz marks the first day when the universe started its motion." The Persian historian
Gardizi, in his work titled ''Zayn al-Akhbār'', under the section of the Zoroastrians festivals, mentions Nowruz (among other festivals) and specifically points out that
Zoroaster highly emphasized the celebration of Nowruz and Mehrgan.
Achaemenid period
Although the word ''Nowruz'' is not recorded in
Achaemenid inscriptions,
there is a detailed account by
Xenophon of a Nowruz celebration taking place in Persepolis and the continuity of this festival in the Achaemenid tradition. Nowruz was an important day during the Achaemenid Empire (). Kings of the different Achaemenid nations would bring gifts to the
King of Kings
King of Kings; grc-gre, Βασιλεὺς Βασιλέων, Basileùs Basiléōn; hy, արքայից արքա, ark'ayits ark'a; sa, महाराजाधिराज, Mahārājadhirāja; ka, მეფეთ მეფე, ''Mepet mepe'' ...
. The significance of the ceremony was such that King
Cambyses II
Cambyses II ( peo, 𐎣𐎲𐎢𐎪𐎡𐎹 ''Kabūjiya'') was the second King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire from 530 to 522 BC. He was the son and successor of Cyrus the Great () and his mother was Cassandane.
Before his accession, Cambyses ...
's appointment as the king of
Babylon
''Bābili(m)''
* sux, 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠
* arc, 𐡁𐡁𐡋 ''Bāḇel''
* syc, ܒܒܠ ''Bāḇel''
* grc-gre, Βαβυλών ''Babylṓn''
* he, בָּבֶל ''Bāvel''
* peo, 𐎲𐎠𐎲𐎡𐎽𐎢 ''Bābiru''
* elx, 𒀸𒁀𒉿𒇷 ''Babi ...
was legitimized only after his participation in the referred annual Achaemenid festival.
It has been suggested that the famous
Persepolis complex, or at least the palace of
Apadana and the Hundred Columns Hall, were built for the specific purpose of celebrating a feast related to Nowruz.
In 539 BCE, the Jews came under Iranian rule, thus exposing both groups to each other's customs. According to the
Encyclopædia Britannica, the story of
Purim as told in the
Book of Esther
The Book of Esther ( he, מְגִלַּת אֶסְתֵּר, Megillat Esther), also known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as "the Scroll" ("the wikt:מגילה, Megillah"), is a book in the third section (, "Writings") of the Judaism, Jewish ''Tanak ...
is adapted from an Iranian novella about the shrewdness of harem queens, suggesting that Purim may be an adoption of Iranian New Year.
A specific novella is not identified and
Encyclopedia Britannica itself notes that "no Jewish texts of this genre from the Persian period are extant, so these new elements can be recognized only inferentially." Purim is celebrated the 14 of
Adar
Adar ( he, אֲדָר ; from Akkadian ''adaru'') is the sixth month of the civil year and the twelfth month of the religious year on the Hebrew calendar, roughly corresponding to the month of March in the Gregorian calendar. It is a month of 29 d ...
, usually within a month before Nowruz (as the date of Purim is set according to the
Jewish calendar, which is
lunisolar), while Nowruz occurs at the spring equinox. It is possible that the Jews and Iranians of the time may have shared or adopted similar customs for these holidays.
The
Lunar new year of the Middle East occurs on 1
Nisan
Nisan (or Nissan; he, נִיסָן, Standard ''Nīsan'', Tiberian ''Nīsān''; from akk, 𒊬𒊒𒄀 ''Nisanu'') in the Babylonian and Hebrew calendars is the month of the barley ripening and first month of spring. The name of the month is ...
, the
new moon
In astronomy, the new moon is the first lunar phase, when the Moon and Sun have the same ecliptic longitude. At this phase, the lunar disk is not visible to the naked eye, except when it is silhouetted against the Sun during a solar eclipse.
...
of the first month of spring, which usually falls within a few weeks of Nowruz.
Parthian and Sassanid periods
Nowruz was the holiday of
Parthian Parthian may be:
Historical
* A demonym "of Parthia", a region of north-eastern of Greater Iran
* Parthian Empire (247 BC – 224 AD)
* Parthian language, a now-extinct Middle Iranian language
* Parthian shot, an archery skill famously employed by ...
dynastic empires who ruled Iran (248 BCE–224 CE) and the other areas ruled by the Arsacid dynasties outside of
Parthia (such as the Arsacid dynasties of
Armenia and
Iberia). There are specific references to the celebration of Nowruz during the reign of
Vologases I (51–78 CE), but these include no details.
Before
Sassanids established their power in Western Asia around 300 CE, Parthians celebrated Nowruz in autumn, and the first of
Farvardin began at the autumn equinox. During the reign of the Parthian dynasty, the spring festival was
Mehregan, a
Zoroastrian and Iranian festival celebrated in honor of
Mithra.
Extensive records on the celebration of Nowruz appear following the accession of
Ardashir I
Ardashir I (Middle Persian: 𐭠𐭥𐭲𐭧𐭱𐭲𐭥, Modern Persian: , '), also known as Ardashir the Unifier (180–242 AD), was the founder of the Sasanian Empire. He was also Ardashir V of the Kings of Persis, until he founded the new emp ...
, the founder of the
Sasanian Empire
The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the History of Iran, last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th cen ...
(224–651 CE). Under the Sassanid emperors, Nowruz was celebrated as the most important day of the year. Most royal traditions of Nowruz, such as royal audiences with the public, cash gifts, and the pardoning of prisoners, were established during the Sassanid era and persisted unchanged until modern times.
After the Arab-Muslim conquest
Nowruz, along with the mid-winter celebration
Sadeh, survived the
Muslim conquest of Persia of 650 CE. Other celebrations such as the
Gahambars The seasonal festivals, called gahambars (meaning "proper season"), occur six times a year. Due to the peculiarities of the ''Shahenshahi'' and ''Kadmi'' variants of the Zoroastrian calendar, in those variants the seasonal festivals are actually cel ...
and
Mehrgan
Mehregan ( fa, ) or Jashn-e Mehr ( ''Mithra Festival'') is a Zoroastrian and Iranian festival celebrated to honor the yazata Mithra ( fa, Mehr), which is responsible for friendship, affection and love.
Name
"Mehregan" is derived from the Middl ...
were eventually side-lined or only observed by
Zoroastrians. Nowruz became the main royal holiday during the
Abbasid period. Much like their predecessors in the Sasanian period,
Dehqan
The ''dehqân'' ( fa, دهقان) or ''dehgân'' ( fa, دهگان), were a class of land-owning magnates during the Sasanian and early Islamic period, found throughout Iranian-speaking lands. The ''deqhans'' started to gradually fade away under t ...
s would offer gifts to the caliphs and local rulers at the Nowruz and Mehragan festivals.
Following the demise of the caliphate and the subsequent re-emergence of Iranian dynasties such as the
Samanids and
Buyids, Nowruz became an even more important event. The Buyids revived the ancient traditions of Sassanian times and restored many smaller celebrations that had been eliminated by the caliphate. The Iranian
Buyid ruler
'Adud al-Dawla
Fannā (Panāh) Khusraw ( fa, پناه خسرو), better known by his laqab of ʿAḍud al-Dawla ( ar, عضد الدولة, "Pillar of the bbasidDynasty") (September 24, 936 – March 26, 983) was an emir of the Buyid dynasty, ruling from 9 ...
(r. 949–983) customarily welcomed Nowruz in a majestic hall, decked with gold and silver plates and vases full of fruit and colorful flowers.
The King would sit on the royal throne, and the court astronomer would come forward, kiss the ground, and congratulate him on the arrival of the New Year.
The king would then summon musicians and singers, and invited his friends to gather and enjoy a great festive occasion.
Later
Turkic
Turkic may refer to:
* anything related to the country of Turkey
* Turkic languages, a language family of at least thirty-five documented languages
** Turkic alphabets (disambiguation)
** Turkish language, the most widely spoken Turkic language
* ...
and
Mongol invaders did not attempt to abolish Nowruz.
In 1079 CE during the
Seljuq dynasty
The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; fa, سلجوقیان ''Saljuqian'', alternatively spelled as Seljuqs or Saljuqs), also known as Seljuk Turks, Seljuk Turkomans "The defeat in August 1071 of the Byzantine emperor Romanos Diogenes
by the Turk ...
era, a group of eight scholars led by astronomer and polymath
Omar Khayyam calculated and established the
Jalali calendar, computing the year starting from Nowruz.
Contemporary Era
Before the collapse of the
Soviet Union, Iran and Afghanistan were the only countries that officially observed the ceremonies of Nowruz. When the
Caucasian
Caucasian may refer to:
Anthropology
*Anything from the Caucasus region
**
**
** ''Caucasian Exarchate'' (1917–1920), an ecclesiastical exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Caucasus region
*
*
*
Languages
* Northwest Caucasian l ...
and
Central Asian countries gained independence from the Soviets, they also declared Nowruz as a national holiday.
Nowruz was added to the
UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010.
Holiday customs
House cleaning and shopping
House cleaning, or ''shaking the house'' ( fa, خانه تکانی, xāne tekāni) is commonly done before the arrival of Nowruz. People start preparing for Nowruz with a major
spring cleaning
Spring cleaning is the practice of thoroughly cleaning a house in the springtime. The practice of spring cleaning is especially prevalent in climates with a cold winter. In many cultures, annual cleaning occurs at the end of the year, which may b ...
of their homes and by buying new clothes to wear for the New Year, as well as the purchase of flowers. The
hyacinth
Hyacinth or Hyacinthus may refer to:
Nature Plants
* Hyacinth (plant), genus ''Hyacinthus''
** ''Hyacinthus orientalis'', common hyacinth
* Grape hyacinth, ''Muscari'', a genus of perennial bulbous plants native to Eurasia
* Hyacinth bean, ''Labl ...
and the
tulip are popular and conspicuous.
Visiting family and friends
During the Nowruz holidays, people are expected to make short visits to the homes of family, friends and neighbors. Typically, young people will visit their elders first, and the elders return their visit later. Visitors are offered tea and pastries, cookies, fresh and dried fruits and mixed nuts or other snacks. Many Iranians throw large Nowruz parties in as a way of dealing with the long distances between groups of friends and family.
Food preparation
One of the most common foods cooked on the occasion of Nowruz is
Samanu (Samanak, Somank, Somalek). This food is prepared using wheat germ. In most countries that celebrate Nowruz, this food is cooked. In some countries, cooking this food is associated with certain rituals. Women and girls in different parts of Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan cook Samanu in groups and sometimes during the night, and when cooking it, they sing memorable songs.
Cooking other foods is also common on Nowruz. For example,
Sabzi polo
Sabzi polo ( fa, سبزی پلو) is an Iranian (Persian) dish of rice and chopped herbs, usually served with fish. In Persian, ''sabzi'' refers to herbs or vegetables (''sabz'' means "green"); ''polo'' is pilaf, a style of cooked rice.
The herb ...
with fish is eaten on Eid night and sweets such as
Nan-e Nokhodchi
Nan-e nokhodchi ( fa, نان نخودچی), also called Shirini nokhodchi ( fa, شیرینی نخودچی), are cookies made from Chickpea, chickpeas originating in Qazvin Province, Qazvin, Iran. These are traditionally made from chick-pea flour a ...
. In general, cooking Nowruz food is common in every region where Nowruz is celebrated, and each area has its food and sweets.
Haft-sin
Typically, before the arrival of Nowruz, family members gather around the Haft-sin table and await the exact moment of the
March equinox to celebrate the New Year.
The number 7 and the letter S are related to the seven Ameshasepantas as mentioned in the Zend-Avesta. They relate to the four elements of Fire, Earth, Air, Water, and the three life forms of Humans, Animals and Plants. In modern times the explanation was simplified to mean that the Haft-sin ( fa, هفتسین, seven things beginning with the letter sin (س)) are:
* Sabze ( fa, سبزه) –
wheat,
barley,
mung bean
The mung bean (''Vigna radiata''), alternatively known as the green gram, maash ( fa, ماش٫ )٫ mūng (), monggo, or munggo (Philippines), is a plant species in the legume family.Brief Introduction of Mung Bean. Vigna Radiata Extract G ...
, or
lentil sprouts grown in a dish.
*
Samanu ( fa, سمنو) – sweet
pudding
Pudding is a type of food. It can be either a dessert or a savoury (salty or spicy) dish served as part of the main meal.
In the United States, ''pudding'' means a sweet, milk-based dessert similar in consistency to egg-based custards, ins ...
made from
wheat germ
Cereal germ or Wheat germ:
The germ of a cereal is the reproductive part that germinates to grow into a plant; it is the embryo of the seed. Along with bran, germ is often a by-product of the milling that produces refined grain products. ...
* Persian olive ( fa, سنجد, senjed)
*
Vinegar ( fa, سرکه, serke)
* Apple ( fa, سیب, sib)
* Garlic ( fa, سیر, sir)
*
Sumac ( fa, سماق, somāq)
The Haft-sin table may also include a mirror, candles,
painted eggs, a bowl of water,
goldfish, coins,
hyacinth
Hyacinth or Hyacinthus may refer to:
Nature Plants
* Hyacinth (plant), genus ''Hyacinthus''
** ''Hyacinthus orientalis'', common hyacinth
* Grape hyacinth, ''Muscari'', a genus of perennial bulbous plants native to Eurasia
* Hyacinth bean, ''Labl ...
, and traditional confectioneries. A "book of wisdom" such as the
Quran,
Bible,
Avesta, the
of
Ferdowsi
Abul-Qâsem Ferdowsi Tusi ( fa, ; 940 – 1019/1025 CE), also Firdawsi or Ferdowsi (), was a Persians, Persian poet and the author of ''Shahnameh'' ("Book of Kings"), which is one of the world's longest epic poetry, epic poems created by a sin ...
, or
the divān of
Hafez may also be included.
Haft-sin's origins are not clear. The practice is believed to have been popularized over the past 100 years.
Haft-mewa
In Afghanistan, people prepare Haft Mēwa ( prs, هفت میوه, en, seven fruits) for Nauruz, a mixture of seven different
dried fruits and nuts (such as
raisins,
silver berry,
pistachio
The pistachio (, ''Pistacia vera''), a member of the cashew family, is a small tree originating from Central Asia and the Middle East. The tree produces seeds that are widely consumed as food.
''Pistacia vera'' is often confused with other sp ...
s,
hazelnut
The hazelnut is the fruit of the hazel tree and therefore includes any of the nuts deriving from species of the genus ''Corylus'', especially the nuts of the species ''Corylus avellana''. They are also known as cobnuts or filberts according t ...
s,
prunes,
walnut, and
almond
The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree native to Iran and surrounding countries, including the Levant. The almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree. Within the genus ...
s) served in syrup.
Khoncha
Khoncha ( az, Xonça) is the traditional display of Novruz in the Republic of Azerbaijan. It consists of a big silver or copper tray, with a tray of green, sprouting wheat (
samani
Germinated wheat ( fa, جوانه گندم) or sprouted wheat, wheat sprout is a product of germinating wheat seeds in a wet and relatively warm environment in a process called sprouting. It is sometimes used instead of barley in the form of ma ...
) in the middle and a dyed egg for each member of the family arranged around it. The table should be with at least seven dishes.
Amu Nowruz and Hajji Firuz
In Iran, the traditional heralds of the festival of Nowruz are
Amu Nowruz
Amu Nowruz ( fa, عمو نوروز, "Uncle Nowruz"), also known as Baba Nowruz (بابا نوروز), is a legendary character originating in Iranian folklore. According to the folklore, he appears annually at the beginning of spring, together wit ...
and
Haji Firuz
Hāji Firuz ('' fa, حاجی فیروز'') or Khwāje Piruz ('' fa, خواجه پیروز'') is a fictional character in Iranian folklore who appears in the streets by the beginning of Nowruz. His face is covered in soot, and he is clad in bright ...
, who appear in the streets to celebrate the New Year.
Amu Nowruz brings children gifts, much like his counterpart
Santa Claus
Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a Legend, legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring ...
. He is the husband of
Nane Sarma
Nane Sarma ( fa, ننه سرما, "Grandma Frost"), also known as Bibi Barfi ( fa, بی بی برفی, "Grandma Snow"), is a mythical character in Iranian folklore. She is the wife of Amu Nowruz, the "Uncle Nowruz".http://cmes.hmdc.harvard.edu/out ...
, with whom he shares a traditional love story in which they can meet each other only once a year. He is depicted as an elderly silver-haired man with a long beard carrying a walking stick, wearing a felt hat, a long cloak of blue canvas, a sash,
giveh, and linen trousers.
Haji Firuz, a character with his face and hands covered in soot, clad in bright red clothes and a felt hat, is the companion of Amu Nowruz. He dances through the streets while singing and playing the tambourine. In the traditional songs, he introduces himself as a serf trying to cheer people whom he refers to as his lords.
Kampirak
In the folklore of Afghanistan, Kampirak and his retinue pass village by village distributing gathered charities among people. He is an old bearded man wearing colorful clothes with a long hat and rosary who symbolizes beneficence and the power of nature yielding the forces of winter. The tradition is observed in central provinces, specially
Bamyan and
Daykundi.
Nauryz kozhe
In Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhs and Kyrgyzs start the new year by cooking
nauryz kozhe
Nauryz kozhe ( kk, наурыз көже; ky, нооруз көже) is a Kazakh/ Kyrgyz drink of milk, horse meat, salt, kashk and grains.
On Nauryz (Nooruz), the Kazakh and the Kyrgyz start the new year with this drink for good luck because i ...
or nooruz koze, a traditional drink.
Locality
The festival of Nowruz is celebrated by many groups of people in the
Black Sea basin, the
Balkans, the
South Caucasus,
Western Asia,
central
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
and
southern
Southern may refer to:
Businesses
* China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China
* Southern Airways, defunct US airline
* Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US
* Southern Airways Express, M ...
Asia, and by
Iranian peoples worldwide.
Places where Nowruz is a public holiday include:
* Afghanistan
* Albania
* Azerbaijan (five days)
* Georgia
* Iran (thirteen days)
* Iraqi Kurdistan
* Kazakhstan (four days)
* Kosovo
* Kyrgyzstan
*
Bayan-Ölgii, Mongolia
* Tajikistan (four days)
* Turkmenistan (two days)
*
Uzbekistan
Nowruz is celebrated by
Kurds in
Iraq and
Turkey, as well as by the
Iranis,
Shias and
Parsis in the
Indian subcontinent and diaspora.
Nowruz is also celebrated by Iranian communities in the Americas and in Europe, including
Los Angeles,
Phoenix,
Toronto,
Cologne and
London. In Phoenix, Arizona, Nowruz is celebrated at the Persian New Year Festival. But because Los Angeles is prone to devastating fires, there are very strict fire codes in the city. Usually, Iranians living in Southern California go to the beaches to celebrate the event where it is permissible to build fires. On March 15, 2010, the
United States House of Representatives passed the ''Nowruz Resolution'' (H.Res. 267), by a 384–2 vote, "Recognizing the cultural and historical significance of Nowruz".
Afghanistan
Nowruz marks Afghanistan's New Year's Day with the
Solar Hijri Calendar as their official calendar.
In Afghanistan, the festival of Gul-i-Surkh ( prs, گل سرخ, en, red flower) is the principal festival for Nauruz. It is celebrated in
Mazar-i-Sharif during the first 40 days of the year, when red tulips grow in the green plains and over the hills surrounding the city. People from all over the country travel to Mazar-i-Sharif to attend the Nauruz festivals. ''
Buzkashi'' tournaments are held during the Gul-i-Surkh festival in Mazar-i-Sharif,
Kabul and other northern Afghan cities.
''Jahenda Bala'' ( prs, جهنده بالا en, raising) is celebrated on the first day of the New Year. It is a religious ceremony performed at the
Blue Mosque of Mazar-i-Sharif by raising a special banner resembling the
Derafsh Kaviani royal standard. It is attended by high-ranking government officials such as the Vice-President, Ministers, and Provincial Governors and is the biggest recorded Nawroz gathering, with up to 200,000 people from all over Afghanistan attending.
In the festival of ''Dehqān'' ( prs, دهقان en, farmer), also celebrated on the first day of the New Year, farmers walk in the cities as a sign of encouragement for the agricultural production. In recent years, this activity only happens in Kabul and other major cities where the mayor and other government officials attend.
During the first two weeks of the New Year, the citizens of
Kabul hold family picnics in
Istalif
Istālif ( prs, استالف) is a village northwest of Kabul, Afghanistan, situated at an elevation of in the Shomali Plains, west of Kalakan and south-west of Bagram. It is the center of Istalif District, Kabul Province, Afghanistan. Istalif is ...
,
Charikar and other green places where
redbuds grow.
During the
Taliban regime of 1996–2001, Nauruz was banned as "an ancient pagan holiday centered on fire worship".
Albania
Nevruz is celebrated annually in Albania on 22 March as Sultan Nevruz. In Albania, the festival commemorates the birthday of
Ali ibn Abi Talib
ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam. ...
(died 661 CE) and simultaneously the advent of spring. It is prominent amongst the nations'
Bektashis, but adherents of Sunnism, Catholicism, and Orthodoxy also "share in the nevruz festival to respect the ecumenical spirit of Albania".
Armenia
Since the 19th century, Nowruz has not generally been celebrated by
Armenians and is not a public holiday in
Armenia. However, it is celebrated in Armenia by tens of thousands of Iranian tourists who visit Armenia with relative ease. The influx of tourists from Iran accelerated since around 2010–11. In 2010 alone, around 27,600 Iranians spent Nowruz in capital
Yerevan.
In 2015, President
Serzh Sargsyan sent a letter of congratulations to
Kurds living in Armenia and to the Iranian political leadership on the occasion of Nowruz.
Azerbaijan
In Azerbaijan, Novruz celebrations go on for several days and included festive public dancing and folk music, and sporting competitions. In rural areas, crop holidays are also marked.
Communities of the Azeri diaspora also celebrate Nowruz in the US, Canada, and Israel.
Bangladesh
In
Bangladesh,
Shia Muslims in
Dhaka,
Chittagong
Chittagong ( /ˈtʃɪt əˌɡɒŋ/ ''chit-uh-gong''; ctg, চিটাং; bn, চিটাগং), officially Chattogram ( bn, চট্টগ্রাম), is the second-largest city in Bangladesh after Dhaka and third largest city in B ...
,
Rajshahi and
Khulna
Khulna ( bn, খুলনা, ) is the third-largest city in Bangladesh, after Dhaka and Chittagong. It is the administrative centre of Khulna District and Khulna Division. Khulna's economy is the third-largest in Bangladesh, contributing $53 b ...
continue to celebrate it regularly. However, tradition goes back to historical East Bengal's link to the
Mughal Empire; the empire celebrated the festival for 19 days with pomp and gaiety.
Shia Muslims in Bangladesh have been seen spraying water around their home and drinking that water to keep themselves protected from diseases. A congregation to seek divine blessing is also arranged. Members of the
Nawab family of Dhaka used to celebrate it amid pomp and grandeur. In the evening, they used to float thousands of candle lights in nearby ponds and water bodies. The
National poet Kazi Nazrul Islam portrayed a vivid sketch of the festival highlighting its various aspects. In his poem, he described it as a platform of exposing a youth's physical and mental beauty to another opposite one for conquering his or her heart.
Central Asia
Nowruz widely celebrated on a vast territory of Central Asia and ritual practice acquired its special features. The festival was legitimized by prayers at mosques, and visits to the mazars of Muslim saints and to sacred streams. In the Emirate of Bukhara, a broad official celebration of Nowruz was started by Amir Muzaffar, who sought to strengthen the image of the Manghyt dynasty during the crisis of political legitimacy. Currently, all five Central Asian countries (Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan) celebrate Nowruz as a public holiday.
China
Traditionally, Nowruz is celebrated mainly in China's
Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region by the
Uyghurs,
Chinese Tajik, Salar, and
Kazakh
Kazakh, Qazaq or Kazakhstani may refer to:
* Someone or something related to Kazakhstan
*Kazakhs, an ethnic group
*Kazakh language
*The Kazakh Khanate
* Kazakh cuisine
* Qazakh Rayon, Azerbaijan
*Qazax, Azerbaijan
*Kazakh Uyezd, administrative dis ...
ethnicities.
Georgia
Nowruz is not celebrated by
Georgians
The Georgians, or Kartvelians (; ka, ქართველები, tr, ), are a nation and indigenous Caucasian ethnic group native to Georgia and the South Caucasus. Georgian diaspora communities are also present throughout Russia, Turkey, G ...
, but it is widely celebrated by the country's large
Azerbaijani minority (~7% of the total population)
as well as by
Iranians living in Georgia.
Every year, large festivities are held in the capital
Tbilisi, as well as in areas with a significant number of Azerbaijanis, such as the
Kvemo Kartli,
Kakheti
Kakheti ( ka, კახეთი ''K’akheti''; ) is a region (mkhare) formed in the 1990s in eastern Georgia from the historical province of Kakheti and the small, mountainous province of Tusheti. Telavi is its capital. The region comprises eigh ...
,
Shida Kartli, and
Mtskheta-Mtianeti
Mtskheta-Mtianeti ( ka, მცხეთა-მთიანეთი, literally "Mtskheta-Mountain Area") is a region (Mkhare) in eastern Georgia comprising the town of Mtskheta, which serves as a regional capital, together with its district and t ...
regions.
Georgian politicians have attended the festivities in the capital over the years, and have congratulated the Nowruz-observing ethnic groups and nationals in Georgia on the day of Nowruz.
India
The
Parsi community
Parsis () or Parsees are an ethnoreligious group of the Indian subcontinent adhering to Zoroastrianism. They are descended from Persians who migrated to Medieval India during and after the Arab conquest of Iran (part of the early Muslim conq ...
of India observe the new year using the
Shahenshahi calendar which does not account for leap years, meaning this holiday has now moved by 200 days from its original day of the vernal equinox. In India the Parsi New Year is celebrated around August 16–17.
Tradition of Nowruz in
Northern India dates back to the
Mughal Empire; the festival was celebrated for 19 days with pomp and gaiety in the realm.
However, it further goes back to the Parsi
Zoroastrian community in
Western India, who migrated to the
Indian subcontinent from
Persia during the
Muslim conquest of Persia of 636–651 CE. In the
Princely State of Hyderabad, Nowruz (Nauroz) was one of the four holidays where the
Nizam would hold a public
Darbar, along with the
two official Islamic holidays and the sovereign's birthday. Prior to
Asaf Jahi
The Asaf Jahi was a Muslim dynasty that ruled the Kingdom of Hyderabad. The family came to India in the late 17th century and became employees of the Mughal Empire. They were great patrons of Persian culture, language, and literature, the famil ...
rule in Hyderabad, the
Qutb Shahi
The Qutb Shahi dynasty also called as Golconda Sultanate (Persian: ''Qutb Shāhiyān'' or ''Sultanat-e Golkonde'') was a Persianate Shia Islam dynasty of Turkoman origin that ruled the sultanate of Golkonda in southern India. After the coll ...
dynasty celebrated Nowruz with a ritual called Panjeri, and the festival was celebrated by all with great grandeur.
Kazi Nazrul Islam, during the
Bengal renaissance, portrayed the festival with vivid sketch and poems, highlighting its various aspects.
Iran
Nowruz is two-week celebration that marks the beginning of the New Year in Iran's official
Solar Hijri calendar.
The celebration includes four public holidays from the first to the fourth day of
Farvardin, the first month of the Iranian calendar, usually beginning on March 21.
On the Eve of Nowruz, the fire festival
Chaharshanbe Suri is celebrated.
Following the
1979 Revolution
The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynas ...
, some radical elements from the Islamic government attempted to suppress Nowruz, considering it a pagan holiday and a distraction from
Islamic holidays
There are two official holidays in Islam, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, which are celebrated by Muslims worldwide. Both holidays occur on dates in the lunar Islamic calendar, which is different from the solar-based Gregorian calendar, so they are ...
. Nowruz has been politicized, with political leaders making annual Nowruz speeches.
Kurdistan
Newroz is largely considered as a potent symbol of Kurdish identity. The Kurds of Turkey celebrate this feast between March 18 and 21. Kurds gather into fairgrounds mostly outside the cities to welcome spring. Women wear colored dresses and spangled head scarves and young men wave flags of green, yellow and red, the historic colors of Kurdish people. They hold this festival by lighting fire and dancing around it. Newroz has seen many bans in Turkey, as Turkey has a strong and long history of trying to suppress Kurdish history and culture. It has only been celebrated legally since 1992 after the ban on the Kurdish language was lifted. The holiday is now officially allowed in Turkey after international pressure on the Turkish government to lift culture bans. The Turkish government renamed the holiday ''Nevroz'' in 1995. However, Newroz celebrations are still suppressed and lead to continual confrontations with the Turkish authority. In
Cizre
Cizre (; ar, جَزِيْرَة ٱبْن عُمَر, Jazīrat Ibn ʿUmar, or ''Madinat al-Jazira'', he, גזירא, Gzira, ku, Cizîr, ''Cizîra Botan'', or ''Cizîre'', syr, ܓܙܪܬܐ ܕܒܪ ܥܘܡܪ, Gāzartā,) is a city in the Cizre Dis ...
,
Nusyabin and
Şırnak celebrations turned violent as Turkish police forces fired in the celebrating crowds. In recent years, the Newroz celebration summons around 1 million participants in
Diyarbakır, the biggest city of the Kurdish dominated Southeastern Turkey.
In Syria, the Kurds dress up in their national dress and celebrate the New Year. According to Human Rights Watch, the Kurds have had to struggle to celebrate Newroz, and in the past and the celebration has led to violent oppression, leading to several deaths and mass arrests. The Syrian Arab
Ba'athist government stated in 2004 that the Newroz celebrations will be tolerated as long as they do not become political demonstrations.
During the Newroz celebrations in 2008, three Kurds
were shot dead by Syrian security forces. In March 2010, an attack by Syrian police killed two or three people, one of them a 15-year-old girl, and more than 50 people were wounded. The
Rojava revolution of 2012 and the subsequent establishment of the de facto
Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria
The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), also known as Rojava, is a de facto autonomous region in northeastern Syria. It consists of self-governing sub-regions in the areas of Afrin, Jazira, Euphrates, Raqqa, Tabqa, M ...
saw Kurdish civil rights greatly expand, and Newroz is now celebrated freely in most Kurdish areas of Syria except for
Efrin, where the ritual is no longer allowed since the 2018
occupation by
Turkish-backed rebel groups.
Kurds in Iraq and Iran have had more freedom to celebrate Newroz than their countrymen of Syria and Turkey.
Kurds in the
diaspora
A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of origin. Historically, the word was used first in reference to the dispersion of Greeks in the Hellenic world, and later Jews after ...
also celebrate the New Year; for example, Kurds in Australia celebrate Newroz not only as the beginning of the new year, but also as the Kurdish National Day. Similarly, the Kurds in Finland celebrate the new year as a way of demonstrating their support for the Kurdish cause. Also in London, organizers estimated that 25,000 people celebrated Newroz during March 2006. In Canada, the largest Kurdish Newroz festival is held in
Ontario. In the States, the city of
Nashville, Tennessee includes the largest
Kurdish population in the United States. The Kurds celebrate Newroz by holding a Nashville festival; dressed in their traditional clothing, they sing and dance around a fire with their family and friends.
Pakistan
In Pakistan, Nowruz is typically celebrated in parts of
Gilgit-Baltistan
Gilgit-Baltistan (; ), formerly known as the Northern Areas, is a region administered by Pakistan as an administrative territory, and constituting the northern portion of the larger Kashmir region which has been the subject of a dispute bet ...
,
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, especially near the border with Afghanistan, and across
Balochistan, with a large celebration held in the capital of
Quetta.
Recently, the government of Iran has become involved in hosting celebrations in Islamabad to commemorate the holiday.
Like in India, the
Parsi and
Ismaili
Isma'ilism ( ar, الإسماعيلية, al-ʾIsmāʿīlīyah) is a branch or sub-sect of Shia Islam. The Isma'ili () get their name from their acceptance of Imam Isma'il ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor (imām) to Ja'far al-Sa ...
communities have historically celebrated the holiday, as have some
Shi'a Muslims
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most n ...
.
Theology
Followers of the Zoroastrian faith include Nowruz in their religious calendar, as do followers of other faiths.
Shia literature refers to the merits of the day of Nowruz; the
Day of Ghadir took place on Nowruz; and the fatwas of major Shia scholars recommend fasting. Nowruz is also a holy day for
Sufis,
Bektashis,
Ismailis
Isma'ilism ( ar, الإسماعيلية, al-ʾIsmāʿīlīyah) is a branch or sub-sect of Shia Islam. The Isma'ili () get their name from their acceptance of Imam Isma'il ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor (imām) to Ja'far al-Sa ...
,
Alawites,
Alevis,
Babis and adherents of the
Baháʼí Faith.
Baháʼí Faith
Naw-Rúz is one of nine holy days for adherents of the
Baháʼí Faith worldwide. It is the first day of the
Baháʼí calendar
The Badíʻ calendar used in the Baháʼí Faith is a solar calendar consisting of nineteen months and four or five intercalary days, with new year at the moment of Northern spring equinox. Each month is named after a virtue(e.g. Perfection, Mercy ...
, occurring on the vernal equinox around March 21.
The Baháʼí calendar is composed of 19 months, each of 19 days,
and each of the months is named after an attribute of God; similarly each of the nineteen days in the month also are named after an attribute of God.
The first day and the first month were given the attribute of
Bahá, an
Arabic word meaning splendour or glory, and thus the first day of the year was the day of Bahá in the month of Bahá.
Baháʼu'lláh
Baháʼu'lláh (born Ḥusayn-ʻAlí; 12 November 1817 – 29 May 1892) was the founder of the Baháʼí Faith. He was born to an aristocratic family in Persia, and was exiled due to his adherence to the messianic Bábí Faith. In 1863, in I ...
, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, explained that Naw-Rúz was associated with the ''Most Great Name'' of God,
and was instituted as a festival for those who observed the
Nineteen-Day Fast
The Nineteen-Day Fast is a nineteen-day period of the year during which members of the Baháʼí Faith adhere to a sunrise-to-sunset fast. Along with obligatory prayer, it is one of the greatest obligations of a Baháʼí, and its chief purpos ...
.
The day is also used to symbolize the renewal of time in each religious dispensation.
ʻAbdu'l-Bahá
ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (; Persian language, Persian: , 23 May 1844 – 28 November 1921), born ʻAbbás ( fa, عباس), was the eldest son of Baháʼu'lláh and served as head of the Baháʼí Faith from 1892 until 1921. ʻAbdu'l-Bahá was later C ...
, Bahá'u'lláh's son and successor, explained that significance of Naw-Rúz in terms of
spring
Spring(s) may refer to:
Common uses
* Spring (season), a season of the year
* Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy
* Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water
* Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a ...
and the new life it brings.
He explained that the equinox is a symbol of the
messengers of God and the message that they proclaim is like a spiritual springtime, and that Naw-Rúz is used to commemorate it.
As with all Baháʼí holy days, there are few fixed rules for observing Naw-Rúz, and Baháʼís all over the world celebrate it as a festive day, according to local custom.
Persian Baháʼís still observe many of the Iranian customs associated with Nowruz such as the Haft-sin, but American Baháʼí communities, for example, may have a
potluck dinner
A potluck is a communal gathering where each guest or group contributes a different, often homemade, dish of food to be shared.
Other names for a "potluck" include: potluck dinner, pitch-in, shared lunch, spread, faith supper, carry-in dinner, ...
, along with prayers and readings from
Baháʼí scripture.
Twelver and Ismaʿili Shias
Along with
Ismailis
Isma'ilism ( ar, الإسماعيلية, al-ʾIsmāʿīlīyah) is a branch or sub-sect of Shia Islam. The Isma'ili () get their name from their acceptance of Imam Isma'il ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor (imām) to Ja'far al-Sa ...
, Alawites and Alevis , the
Twelver Shia also hold the day of Nowruz in high regard.
It has been said that
Musa al-Kadhim
Musa ibn Ja'far al-Kazim ( ar, مُوسَىٰ ٱبْن جَعْفَر ٱلْكَاظِم, Mūsā ibn Jaʿfar al-Kāẓim), also known as Abū al-Ḥasan, Abū ʿAbd Allāh or Abū Ibrāhīm, was the seventh Imam in Twelver Shia Islam, after hi ...
, the seventh Twelver Shia
imam
Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, ser ...
, has explained Nowruz and said: "In Nowruz God made a covenant with His servants to worship Him and not to allow any partner for Him. To welcome His messengers and obey their rulings. This day is the first day that the fertile wind blew and the flowers on the earth appeared. The archangel
Gabriel appeared to the
Prophet, and it is the day that
Abraham broke the
idols. The day Prophet
Muhammad held
Ali on his shoulders to destroy the Quraishie's idols in the house of God, the
Kaaba
The Kaaba (, ), also spelled Ka'bah or Kabah, sometimes referred to as al-Kaʿbah al-Musharrafah ( ar, ٱلْكَعْبَة ٱلْمُشَرَّفَة, lit=Honored Ka'bah, links=no, translit=al-Kaʿbah al-Musharrafah), is a building at the c ...
."
The day upon which Nowruz falls has been recommended as a day of fasting for Twelver Shia Muslims by Shia scholars, including
Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei,
Ruhollah Khomeini
Ruhollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Khomeini, Imam Khomeini ( , ; ; 17 May 1900 – 3 June 1989) was an Iranian political and religious leader who served as the first supreme leader of Iran from 1979 until his death in 1989. He was the founder of ...
and
Ali al-Sistani.
[''Islamic Laws'', by Ali al-Sistani, under the section; "Mustahab Fasts"] The day also assumes special significance for Shias as it has been said that it was on March 16, 632 AD, that the first Shia Imam, Ali, assumed the office of caliphate. Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims around the globe celebrate Nowruz as a religious festival. Special prayers and Majalis are arranged in Jamatkhanas. Special foods are cooked and people share best wishes and prayers with each other.
See also
*
Akitu
Akitu or Akitum is a spring festival held on the first day of Nisan in ancient Mesopotamia, to celebrate the sowing of barley. The Assyrian and Babylonian Akitu festival has played a pivotal role in the development of theories of religion, myth ...
*
Aroos-Gooleh
Aroos-Gooleh ( fa, عروس گوله "Bride-Ghoul") is a traditional performance held in the Gilan Province, now a province in northwest Iran, heralding the coming of Nowruz. It is a Gilani way of the narrative of the Amu Nowruz in which the old a ...
*
Dehwa Rabba
Dehwa Rabba ( myz, ࡃࡉࡄࡁࡀ ࡓࡁࡀ, translit=Dihba Rba, lit=Great Feast) or Nauruz Rabba ( myz, ࡍࡀࡅࡓࡅࡆ ࡓࡁࡀ, 'Great New Year') is the Mandaean New Year. It is the first day of Daula (or Dowla), the first month of the ...
, the Mandaean New Year
*
Dehwa d-Shishlam Rabba
The Feast of the Great Shishlam or Dehwa d-Šišlam Rabba ( myz, ࡃࡉࡄࡁࡀ ࡖࡔࡉࡔࡋࡀࡌ ࡓࡁࡀ, translit=Dihba ḏ-Šišlam Rba) or Nauruz Zūṭa ( myz, ࡍࡀࡅࡓࡅࡆ ࡆࡅࡈࡀ, 'Little New Year') is a Mandaean religio ...
, the Mandaean "Little Nowruz"
*
Ēostre
() is a West Germanic spring goddess. The name is reflected in ang, *Ēastre (; Northumbrian dialect: ', Mercian and West Saxon dialects: ' ),Sievers 1901 p. 98 Barnhart, Robert K. ''The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology'' (1995) ...
*
Holi
*
Kha b-Nisan Kha may refer to:
* Kha (Bengali), a letter
* Kha (Cyrillic), a letter
* Kha (Indic), a consonant
* Ḫāʾ (sometimes khā), Arabic letter خ
* Kha, an ancient Egyptian architect and overseer, in Theban Tomb 8, TT8
* Kitty Hawk Aircargo
''For th ...
*
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar. 1 January is also New Year's Day on the Julian calendar, but this is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Wh ...
*
Pahela Baishakh
Pohela Boishakh ( bn, পহেলা বৈশাখ) is the first day of the Bengali calendar which is also the official calendar of Bangladesh. This festival is celebrated on 14 April in Bangladesh and 15 April in the Indian states of W ...
* Seharane
*
Sham Ennessim
, nickname =
, observedby = Egyptians
, begins =
, ends =
, date = The day after Eastern Christianity, Eastern Christian Easter
, date2012 = 14 April
, date2013 = 6 May
, date2014 = 21 April
, date ...
*
Vernal Equinox Day, one of the two
Kōreisai Japanese holidays
Notes
References
External links
*
*
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