on : Tuesday, 20 Mar, 2012
A Spring in Their Step
Iranians across the globe celebrate Persian New Year
Norouz celebrations in Istanbul
“Norouz celebrates the revival of nature, and reminds us of the fact that darkness and gloom are bound to be followed by light, rebirth and revival. Norouz always reminds us that better days are yet to come.” says Nasrin Amiri, one of many Iranians across the globe who are today celebrating Norouz, or Persian New Year.
Norouz, literally meaning ‘New Day’, marks the start of the solar year in the Iranian calendar as well as the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere, with the vernal equinox being the first day of the New Year.
A youth jumps over a fire during Norouz celebrations
Many nationalities celebrate this festival. Persian New Year is observed not only in Iran but also Azerbaijan, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, parts of India and also among the Kurds.
Norouz is usually celebrated on March 21st of Georgian Calendar. However, as 2012 is a leap year this year Norouz falls on Tuesday March 20 at precisely at 05:14 AM, the exact moment that the earth finishes its journey around the sun and the instant the sun leaves the astrological sign of Pisces and enters that of Aries.
“The principle of development begins with the history of Persia. This therefore constitutes strictly the beginning of World-History,” German philosopher Friedrich Hegel once said.
Persian New Year dates back more than 2500 years. Every year on March 21st, the representatives of Persian territories, established by Darius, came to Persepolis to celebrate Norouz and present the King with their finest gifts. Persepolis carvings show Bactrians, Babylonians, Phoenicians, Ethiopians, Indians and Arachosians carrying gifts as valuable as gold and ivory.
In view of the fact that Cyrus the Great is highly respected in Iran, and Persia under his reign had a profound impact on the course of world history, Mohammed Reza Shah allocated the year that Cyrus the Great was crowned as the emperor of Persia, as the origin of the Iranian calendar. According to this origin, this year’s Norouz celebration would have marked the year 2571.
However, after the Iranian Revolution in 1979 and under Ayatollah Khomeini’s supremacy, the origin of the Iranian calendar changed from Cyrus the Great’s coronation to Prophet Mohammed’s emigration from Mecca to Medina. According to this origin in the Iranian calendar, Iranians must celebrate the beginning of the year 1391.
Haft seen
Norouz is not all about astronomical and mathematical calculations. There are many cultural rituals that Iranians celebrate passionately, such as setting the Haft Seen, a table containing seven specific items starting with the letter ‘S’: Sabzeh (freshly grown greens), Samanou (sweet wheat pudding), Senjed (oleaster), Seeb (apple), Seer (garlic), Somagh (sumac) and Serkeh (vinegar). Haft-Seen is a major component of the customs observed for Norouz.
Each of these items has a meaning. Sabzeh symbolises rebirth and renewal; Samanou symbolises affluence; Senjed is a symbol of love; Seeb symbolises beauty and health; Seer is a symbol of medicine; Somagh symbolises sunrise and Serkeh is a symbol of old-age and patience.People may place a poetry book, such as the Shahnameh or the Divan of Hafiz, or one of the holy books on the table.
Celebration rituals also include a major spring-clean, carried out in the days prior to Narouz in order to welcome the guardian angels (Fourohars) who are believed to visit their human counterparts during this time. This is also symbolic of preparing for the new. Bon fires are also ignited on the last Tuesday of the year. Jumping over them is a purification rite that is believed to rid those who take part of illness and misfortune.
The meaningful ritual was registered on the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and inscribed in 2009 as the International Day of Norouz. Norouz is a tradition that welcomes people of all religions to join together to salute spring and nature’s rebirth.
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