Nowruz

Persian New Year

now (Old Persian nava) means "new ruz means "day"

EMA Portsmouth 2012

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Some of the countries that celebrate Nowruz

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When is Nowruz?
Nowruz is celebrated on the first day of the Spring. It usually occurs on March 21st (but sometimes the day before or after). The moment the Sun crosses the equator, when night and day are equal, Iranian families gather together to observe the Nowruz rituals. In 2012 Nowruz is on Tuesday, March 20th at 7:13 am. However, the Kurdish people always celebrate the new year on the 21st March every year.
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Nowruz has been celebrated for at least 3,000 years.

It is deeply rooted in the rituals and traditions of the Zoroastrian religion.

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Chahrshanbe-Sri (in Persian: ) meaning Wednesday Feast

also called the Festival of Fire Bonfires are lit in public places, hoping for enlightenment and happiness throughout the coming year. People leap over the flames, shouting: Sorkhi-ye to az man; Zardi-ye man az to (Give me your beautiful red colour; and take back my sickly pallor)

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 Another tradition of this day is to make special ajeel, (mixed nuts and berries). People wear disguises and go door to door knocking on doors as similar to Trick-or-treating.

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In the run up to Nowruz

Houses are spring cleaned and filled with flowers (in particular hyacinths tulips and daffodils) This symbolises the rebirth of nature Enthusiastic spring-cleaning is a national tradition carried out by almost every household in Iran, Turkey, Iraq etc. Khouneh Tekouni literally means shaking the house It is also customary to buy at least one new outfit for the New Year celebrations

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On the first day of Nowruz

Families gather around a table to wait for the exact moment of the arrival of the spring when they exchange gifts. On the table will be the Haft Sn which consists of seven specific items beginning with the letter S :
Sumaq sumac berries for the colour of sunrise Seer garlic for medicine Sonbol apples for beauty and health Serkeh vinegar for age and patience. Samanoo a sweet wheat germ pudding for affluence Senjed the dried fruit of the lotus tree for love Sabzeh grown wheat, barley or lentil sprouts in a dish for rebirth

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Other things that may be on the table include

coins (for wealth), candles (enlightenment and happiness), a mirror (cleanness and honesty), decorated eggs (fertility), a goldfish in a bowl (said to represent unexpected favours to be received in the coming year), rosewater (believed to have magical cleansing powers), and a holy book and/or a poetry book.

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The traditional character of the Nowruz season is called Haji Pirooz, or Haji Firuz.
He symbolizes the rebirth of the Sumerian god of sacrifice, Domuzi. He was killed at the end of each year and is reborn at the beginning of the New Year. Wearing black make up and a red costume, Haji Pirooz sings and dances through the streets with tambourines and trumpets spreading good cheer and the news of the coming New Year.
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The thirteenth day of the New Year festival is called Sizdah Bedar
(meaning thirteen outdoors).
Nowruz lasts for twelve days and the thirteenth day represents the time of chaos when families put order aside and avoid the bad luck associated with the number thirteen. On the thirteenth day, families leave their homes and go for a picnic in the countryside. Some people believe that if a person is warm and kind to their relatives, friends and neighbours on Nowruz, then the new year will be a good one. On the other hand, if there are fights and disagreements, the year will be a bad one One tradition associated with the 13th day is Dorugh-e Sizdah, (meaning the lie of the thirteenth) where people tell a fib to one another, similar to April Fools Day.

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Sizdah Bedar often falls on or very close to April Fool's Day. On this day, people throw their sabzeh as a symbolic act of making the nature greener, and to dispose of the bad luck that the sprouts are said to have been collecting from the household. It is also customary for young single women to tie the leaves of the sabzeh, prior to discarding it, symbolizing their wish to be married before the next year's Sizdah Bedar

Sabzeh

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Traditional New Year Food

Traditional Iranian pastries such as baghlava, toot, naannokhodchi are always available to visitors. New Year dishes include: Sabzi Polo Mahi: a rice dish with parsley, coriander, chives, dill and fenugreek, served with fish. Reshteh Polo: rice cooked with noodles -it is said to help one succeed in life.

Baghlava
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Sabzi Polo Mahi

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More Food
Dolme Barg: a vegetable, meat and rice parcel wrapped in grape leaves, said to make wishes come true and
Kookoo sabzi (a herb and vegetable omelette/souffle) made with parsley, dill, coriander, spinach and spring onion ends, and chives then mixed with eggs and walnut.

Kookoo sabzi

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Some New Year greetings

Sale no mobarak is Happy New Year in Farsi Nevruz kutlu olsun is Happy New Year in Turkish Newroz piroz be is Welcome life in Kurdish

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