Norouz (Persian: نوروز‎ ​, Kurdish: Newroz, NûRoj, IPA2: Nowruz; also spelled Noe-Rooz, Nawroz, Norooz, Noruz, Novruz, Noh Ruz, Nauroz, Nav-roze, Navroz, Naw-Rúz, Nevruz or Nowrouz) is the traditional Iranian new year holiday in Iran, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, India, Turkey, Zanzibar, Albania, various countries of Central Asia like Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan, Xinjiang as well as among the Kurds [1]. As well as being a Zoroastrian holiday, it is also a holy day for adherents of Sufism as well as Bahá'í Faith [2]. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1712, 3039 KB) Beschreibung: bühender Kirschenbaum (prunus sp)im Frühling Quelle: FreePiP (Free Pictures Project) Fotograf: Benjamin Gimmel, BenHur See also Image:Frühlingslandschft Aaretal Schweiz. ... Motto: Uhuru na Umoja (Swahili: Freedom and Unity) Anthem: Mungu ibariki Afrika (God Bless Africa) Capital Stone Town Largest city Stone Town English, Lamu (de facto) Government Republic  - President Amani Abeid Karume  - Prime Minister Shamsi Vuai Nahodha Independence From the United Kingdom   - Tanganyika December 9, 1961   - Zanzibar December 19, 1963... Kurds are one of the Iranian peoples and speak Kurdish, a north-Western Iranian language related to Persian. ... Persian, (local name: FārsÄ« or PārsÄ«), is an Indo-European language spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and by minorities in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Southern Russia, neighboring countries, and elsewhere. ... It has been suggested that Kurdish blogs be merged into this article or section. ... IPA, here, stands for International Persian Alphabet and 2 is both to differentiate this abbreviation from that of the renowned International Phonetic Alphabet and to accitentally indicate version 2. ... Motto: Uhuru na Umoja (Swahili: Freedom and Unity) Anthem: Mungu ibariki Afrika (God Bless Africa) Capital Stone Town Largest city Stone Town English, Lamu (de facto) Government Republic  - President Amani Abeid Karume  - Prime Minister Shamsi Vuai Nahodha Independence From the United Kingdom   - Tanganyika December 9, 1961   - Zanzibar December 19, 1963... Map of Central Asia showing three sets of possible boundaries for the region Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a vast landlocked region of Asia. ... For the county in Shanxi province, see Xinjiang County. ... The Kurds are an Iranian-speaking ethnic group who consider themselves to be indigenous to a region often referred to as Kurdistan, an area which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. ... Zoroastrianism was adapted from an earlier, polytheistic faith by Zarathushtra (Zoroaster) in Persia very roughly around 1000 BC (although, in the absence of written records, some scholars estimates are as late as 600 BC). ... Sufism is a mystic tradition of Islam encompassing a diverse range of beliefs and practices dedicated to Allah/God, divine love and sometimes to help a fellow man. ... Seat of the Universal House of Justice in Haifa, Israel, governing body of the Baháís The Baháí Faith is a religion founded by Baháulláh in 19th century Persia. ...

Norouz marks first day of spring and the beginning of the Iranian year as well as the beginning of the Bahá'í year [3]. It is celebrated by some communities on March 21st and by others on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox (start of spring), which may occur on March 20th, 21st or 22nd. The Iranian calendar (also known as Persian calendar or the Jalaali Calendar) is a solar calendar currently used in Iran and Afghanistan. ... The Baháí calendar, common to the Baháí Faith, is a solar calendar with regular years 365 days long and leap years 366 days long as explained within the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. ... March 21 is the 80th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (81st in leap years). ... Illumination of Earth by Sun on the day of equinox The vernal equinox (or spring equinox) marks the beginning of astronomical spring. ... March 20 is the 79th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (80th in Leap years). ... March 21 is the 80th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (81st in leap years). ... March 22 is the 81st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (82nd in leap years). ...

The word comes from the Old Persian [4]: nava=new + rəzaŋh=day/daylight, meaning "new day/daylight", and still has the same meaning in the modern Persian (no=new + rouz=day; meaning "new day"). See Aryan Language or Old Persian For more information visit: *[Ancient Iranian Languages & Literature The Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies (CAIS) ... Persian, (local name: FārsÄ« or PārsÄ«), is an Indo-European language spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and by minorities in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Southern Russia, neighboring countries, and elsewhere. ...

History

Persepolis all nations stair case. Notice the people from across Persia bringing Norouz gifts for the king

The term Norouz first appeared in Persian records in the second century CE, but it was also an important day during the Achaemenid times (c. 648-330 BCE), where kings from different nations under Persian empire used to bring gifts to the emperor (Shahanshah) of Persia on Norouz [5]. 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 Norouz. However, no mention of Norouz exists in Achaemenid inscriptions (See picture). Image File history File links Download high resolution version (852x458, 56 KB) Summary Used with permission of the photographer. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (852x458, 56 KB) Summary Used with permission of the photographer. ... Persepolis Aerial View - After 2500 years, the ruins of Persepolis still inspire visitors from far and near. ... The Persian Empire was a series of historical empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau (Irān - Land of the Aryans) and beyond. ... The Common Era (CE or C.E.), sometimes known as the Current Era or Christian Era, is the period of measured time beginning with the year 1 (the traditional birthdate of Jesus) to the present. ... The Persepolis Ruins The Achaemenid dynasty (Old Persian:Hakamanishiya, Persian: هخامنشیان) - was a dynasty in the ancient Persian Empire. ... Look up Circa on Wiktionary, the free dictionary The Latin word circa, literally meaning about, is often used to describe various dates (often birth and death dates) that are uncertain. ... Centuries: 8th century BC - 7th century BC - 6th century BC Decades: 690s BC 680s BC 670s BC 660s BC 650s BC - 640s BC - 630s BC 620s BC 610s BC 600s BC 590s BC Events and Trends Assyrian king Ashurbanipal founds library, which includes our earliest complete copy of the Epic... Centuries: 5th century BC - 4th century BC - 3rd century BC Decades: 380s BC 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC 340s BC - 330s BC - 320s BC 310s BC 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 335 BC 334 BC 333 BC 332 BC 331 BC - 330 BC - 329 BC 328 BC 327... Persepolis Aerial View - After 2500 years, the ruins of Persepolis still inspire visitors from far and near. ... See Apadāna for the Pali texts. ...

The oldest records of Norouz go back to the King Yima of Eastern Iran Afghanistan back far as 5000 BCE. And later it became the national holiday of Arsacid/Parthian Empires Who ruled western Iran (247 BCE-224 CE). There are specific references to the celebration of Norouz during the reign Vologases I (51-78 CE), but these include no details. Jamshid (in Persian: ‎) is a common Persian male first name. ... The Arsacid Dynasty ruled Persia. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... (Redirected from 247 BCE) Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC 250s BC - 240s BC - 230s BC 220s BC 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC Years: 252 BC 251 BC 250 BC 249 BC 248 BC - 247 BC... Events Shah Artashir I wins Persian independence from Parthia and establishes the Sassanid dynasty. ... Vologases I of Parthia ruled the Parthian Empire from about 51 to 78. ... // Events Roman Empire Caratacus, British resistance leader, is captured and taken to Rome. ... For other uses, see number 78. ...

Extensive records on the celebration of Norouz appear following the accession of Ardashir I of Persia, the founder of the Sassanid dynasty (224-650 CE). Under the Sassanid kings, Norouz was celebrated as the most important day of the year. Most royal traditions of Norouz such as royal audiences with the public, cash gifts, and the pardoning of prisoners, were established during the Sassanian era and they persisted unchanged until modern times. Silver coin of Ardashir I with a fire altar on its verso (British Museum London). ... The Sassanid Empire in the time of Shapur I; the conquest of Cappadocia was temporary Official language Pahlavi (Middle Persian) Dominant Religion Zoroastrianism Capital Ctesiphon Sovereigns Shahanshah of the Iran (Eranshahr) First Ruler Ardashir I Last Ruler Yazdegerd III Establishment 224 AD Dissolution 651 AD Part of the History of... Events Shah Artashir I wins Persian independence from Parthia and establishes the Sassanid dynasty. ... Events Arab conquest of Persia, establishment of Islam as state religion Hindu empire in Sumatra Croats and Serbs occupy Bosnia Khazars conquer Great Bulgarian Empire in southern Russia building of St. ...

Norouz, along with Sadeh (that is celebrated in mid-winter), survived in society following the introduction of Islam in 650 CE. Other celebrations such Gahanbar and Mehragan were eventually side-lined or were only followed by the Zoroastrians, who carried them as far as India. Norouz, however, was most honored even by the early founders of Islam. There are records of the Four Great Caliphs presiding over Nowruz celebrations, and it was adopted as the main royal holiday during the Abbasid period. Sadeh is an ancient Iranian tradition celebrated 50 days before nowrouz. ... Events Arab conquest of Persia, establishment of Islam as state religion Hindu empire in Sumatra Croats and Serbs occupy Bosnia Khazars conquer Great Bulgarian Empire in southern Russia building of St. ... Gahanbar are the festivals of the ancient Avesta calendar celebrated by the Parsees at six seasons of the year which correspond with the six periods of creation: Maidhyozaremaya (mid spring) Maidhyoshema (midsummer) Paitishahya (season of corn) A yathrema (season of flocks) Maidhyarya (winter solstice) Hamaspathmacdha (festival of sacrifices). ... Sometimes Spelled Mehregan or Mehrigan is an ancient Persian festival dating back almost 3000 years ago. ... Zoroastrianism was adapted from an earlier, polytheistic faith by Zarathushtra (Zoroaster) in Persia very roughly around 1000 BC (although, in the absence of written records, some scholars estimates are as late as 600 BC). ... Abbasid provinces during the caliphate of Harun al-Rashid Abbasid (Arabic: العبّاسيّون, Abbāsīyūn) is the dynastic name generally given to the caliph of Baghdad, the second of the two great Sunni dynasties of the Arab Empires, that overthrew the Umayyad caliphs from all but Spain. ...

Following the demise of the Caliphate and the subsequent re-emergence of Persian dynasties such as the Samanids and Buyids, Norouz was elevated to an even more important event. The Buyids revived the ancient traditions of Sasanian times and restored many smaller celebrations that had been eliminated by the Caliphate. Even the Turkish and Mongol invaders did not attempt to abolish Norouz in favor of any other celebration. Thus, Norouz remained as the main celebration in the Persian lands by both the officials and the people. The Samanid dynasty (819-999) was a Persian dynasty in Central Asia, named after its founder Saman Khuda. ... The Buwayhids or Buyyids or Āl-i Buyeh, were a Shiite tribal confederation from Daylam, a region on the southern shore of the Caspian Sea. ... An Anglicized/Latinized version of the Arabic word خليفة or Khalīfah, Caliph (  listen?) is the term or title for the Islamic leader of the Ummah, or community of Islam. ... Honorary guard of Mongolia. ...

Omar Khayyam in his Norouznama has written a vivid description of the celebration in ancient Persian. Tomb of Omar Khayam, Neishapur, Iran. ...

From the era of Keykhosrow till the days of Yazdegard, last of the pre-Islamic kings of Persia, the royal custom was thus: on the first day of the New Year, Nau Ruz, the King's first visitor was the High Priest of the Zoroastrians, who brought with him as gifts a golden goblet full of wine, a ring, some gold coins, a fistful of green sprigs of wheat, a sword, a bow and a handsome slave. In the language of Persia he would then glorify God and praise the monarch.. This was the address of the High Priest to the king : "O Majesty, on this feast of the Equinox, first day of the first month of the year, seeing that thou hast freely chosen God and the Faith of the Ancient ones; may Surush, the Angel-messenger, grant thee wisdom and insight and sagacity in thy affairs. Live long in praise, be happy and fortunate upon thy golden throne, drink immortality from the Cup of Jamshid; and keep in solemn trust the customs of our ancestors, their noble aspirations, fair gestes and the exercise of justice and righteousness. May thy soul flourish; may thy youth be as the new-grown grain; may thy horse be puissant, victorious; they sword bright and deadly against foes; thy hawk swift against its prey; thy every act straight as the arrow's shaft. Go forth from thy rich throne, conquer new lands. Honor the craftsman and the sage in equal degree; disdain the acquisition of wealth. May thy house prosper and thy life be long!" Image File history File links Cquote1. ...

Image File history File links Cquote2. ...

Local variations

Nowruz has been celebrated for at least 3000 years and is deeply rooted in the rituals and traditions of the Zoroastrian religion. Today, the festival of Norouz is celebrated in many countries that were territories of, or influenced by, the Persian Empire: Persia (Iran), Iraq, Afghanistan, parts of the middle-east, as well as in the former soviet republics of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan,Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. It is also celebrated by the Zoroastrian Parsis and Iranis in India, and in Turkey, where it is called Nevruz in Turkish and Newroz in Kurdish. Zoroastrianism is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings ascribed to the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathushtra, Zartosht). ... The Persian Empire was a series of historical empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau (Irān - Land of the Aryans) and beyond. ... For other uses of this term see: Persia (disambiguation) The Persian Empire is the name used to refer to a number of historic dynasties that have ruled the country of Persia (Iran). ... a person from Pars (the middle-Persian word for Fars), a region now within the geographical boundaries of Iran, and is roughly the original homeland of the Persian people. ... It has been suggested that Kurdish blogs be merged into this article or section. ...

In most countries, the greeting that accompanies the festival is Ayd-e Norouz Mobārak (mubarak: felicitations) in Persian. In Turkey, the greeting is either Bayramınız Mubarek/kutlu olsun (in Turkish) or Cejna te pîroz be (in Kurdish). Eid is the name of two Islamic festivals: Eid ul-Fitr, marking the end of the month-long fast of Ramadan, held on the first day of Shawwal. ...

Norouz in modern Iran

In Iran (Persia), preparations for Noruz begin in Esfand, the last month of winter in the Persian solar calendar. Persians, Afghans and other groups start preparing for the Norouz with a major spring-cleaning of their houses, the purchase of new clothes to wear for the new year and the purchase of flowers (in particular the hyacinth and the tulip are popular and conspicuous). This article is in need of attention. ... The name Hyacinth can refer to: the Hyacinth from Greek mythology. ... Species See text Tulip (Tulipa) is a genus of about 100 species of flowering plants in the family Liliaceae. ...

In association with the "rebirth of nature", extensive spring-cleaning is a national tradition observed by almost every household in Persia. This is also extended to personal attire, and it is customary to buy at least one set of new clothes. On the New Year's day, families dress in their new clothes and start the twelve-day celebrations by visiting the elders of their family, then the rest of their family and finally their friends. On the thirteenth day families leave their homes and picnic outdoors.

During the Nowruz holidays people are expected to visit one another (mostly limited to families, friends and neighbours) in the form of short house visits, which are usually reciprocated. Typically, on the first day of Nowruz, family members gather around the table, with the Haft Seen on the table or set next to it, and await the exact moment of the arrival of the spring. At that time gifts are exchanged. Later in the day, the first house visits are paid to the most senior family members. Typically, the youth will visit the elders first, and the elders return their visit later. The visits naturally have to be relatively short, otherwise one will not be able to visit everybody on their list. A typical visit is around 30 minutes, where you often run into other visiting relatives and friends who happen to be paying a visit to the same house at that time. Because of the house visits, you make sure you have a sufficient supply of pastry, cookies, fresh and dried fruits and special nuts on hand, as you typically serve your visitors with these items with tea or sherbet. Many Iranians will throw large Nowruz parties in a central location as a way of dealing with the long distances between groups of friends and family.

Some Norouz celebrants believe that whatever a person does on Norouz will affect the rest of the year. So, if a person is warm and kind to their relatives, friends and neighbors 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 that may not be very widespread (that is, it may belong to only a few families) is to place something sweet, such as honey or candy, in a safe place outside overnight. On the first morning of the new year, the first person up brings the sweet stuff into the house as another means of attaining a good new year.

Chahârshanbe Sûrî

A man celebrating Chaharshanbe Sûrî

Main article: Chaharshanbe Suri

Chehel Sotoun's Wall painting, that dates back to the Safavid era, depicts a Chaharshanbe Suri celebration.

The last Wednesday of the year is celebrated by the Iranian people as Chahârshanbe Sûrî Persian: چهارشنبه سوری), the Iranian festival of fire. This festival is the celebration of the light (the good) winning over the darkness (the bad), the symbolism behind the rituals are all rooted back to Zoroastrianism. Image File history File linksMetadata Chaharshanbe_soori. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Chaharshanbe_soori. ... Chaharshanbe Suri (in Persian: چهارشنبه‌سوری) is the national Persian Festival of Fire. ... Image File history File links Chehel-sotoon_chahar_shanbe_suri. ... Image File history File links Chehel-sotoon_chahar_shanbe_suri. ... Chehel Sotoun is a pleasure pavilion in Isfahan, Iran, built by Shah Abbas I to be used for the shahs entertainment and receptions. ... The Safavids were a long-lasting Turkic-speaking Iranian dynasty that ruled from 1501 to 1736 and first established Shiite Islam as Persias official religion. ... Chaharshanbe Suri (in Persian: چهارشنبه‌سوری) is the national Persian Festival of Fire. ... Persian, (local name: FārsÄ« or PārsÄ«), is an Indo-European language spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and by minorities in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Southern Russia, neighboring countries, and elsewhere. ... Zoroastrianism is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings ascribed to the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathushtra, Zartosht). ...

The tradition includes people going into the streets and alleys to make fires, and jump over them while singing the traditional song Zardî-ye man az to, sorkhî-ye to az man (literally: "My yellowness for you, your redness for me; ", but figuratively: My paleness (pain, sickness) to you, your strength (health) to me.

Serving different kinds of pastry and nuts known as Ajîleh Moshkel Goshâ (lit. The problem-solving nuts) is the Chahârshanbe Sûrî way of giving thanks for the previous year's health and happiness, while exchanging any remaining paleness and evil for the warmth and vibrancy of the fire.

According to tradition, the living are visited by the spirit of their ancestors on the last days of the year, and many children wrap themselves in shrouds, symbolically re-enacting the visits. They also run through the streets banging on pots and pans with spoons and knocking on doors to ask for treats. The ritual is called qashogh-zany (spoon beating) and symbolizes the beating out of the last unlucky Wednesday of the year.

There are also several other traditions on this night, including the rituals of Kûzeh Shekastân, the breaking of earthen jars which symbolically hold ones bad fortune; the ritual of Fal-Gûsh, or inferring one's future from the conversations of those passing by; and the ritual of Gereh-goshâ’î, making a knot in the corner of a handkerchief or garment and asking the first passerby to unravel it in order to remove ones misfortune.

The Haft Sîn

The Traditional Haft Sîn

A major tradition of Norouz is the setting of the Haft Sîn (هفت سین) - the seven 'S's, seven items starting with letter S or sîn (س) in Persian alphabet), which are seven specific items on a table symbolically corresponding to the seven creations and the seven holy immortals protecting them. Today they are changed and modified but some have kept their symbolism. Every family attempts to set as beautiful a Haft Sîn table as they can, as it is not only of special spiritual meaning to them, but also is noticed by visitors to their house during Norouzi visitations and is a reflection of their good taste. Image File history File links Haft_Seen. ... Image File history File links Haft_Seen. ... It has been suggested that Persian language#Arabic Alphabet be merged into this article or section. ...

The following list is an example of some common Haft Seen items, though there isn't consensus as to which seven:

• sabzeh - wheat, barley or lentil sprouts growing in a dish (symbolising rebirth)
• samanu - a sweet pudding made from wheat germ (symbolising affluence)
• senjed - the dried fruit of the oleaster tree (love)
• sîr - garlic (medicine)
• sîb - apples, (beauty and health)
• somaq - sumac berries (the colour of the sunrise)
• serkeh - vinegar (age and patience)
• sonbol - the fragrant hyacinth flower (the coming of spring)
• sekkeh - coins (prosperity and wealth)

Other items on the table may include: Species T. aestivum T. boeoticum T. compactum T. dicoccoides T. dicoccon T. durum T. monococcum T. spelta T. sphaerococcum References:   ITIS 42236 2002-09-22 For the indie rock group see: Wheat (band). ... Binomial name Hordeum vulgare L. Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is a major food and animal feed crop, a member of the grass family Poaceae. ... Binomial name Lens culinaris Medikus The lentil (Lens culinaris) is a brushy annual plant of the legume family, grown for its lens-shaped seeds. ... Wheat germ is the heart of the wheat kernel - a concentrated source of several essential nutrients including Vitamin E, folate (folic acid), phosphorus, thiamin, zinc and magnesium. ... Binomial name Elaeagnus angustifolia L. Elaeagnus angustifolia (Russian Silverberry, Oleaster, or Russian-olive) is a species of Elaeagnus, native to western and central Asia, from southern Russia and Kazakhstan to Turkey. ... Binomial name Allium sativum L. Percentages are relative to US RDI values for adults. ... Binomial name Malus domestica Borkh. ... Species About 250 species; see text Rhus is a genus approximately 250 species of woody shrubs and small trees in the family Anacardiaceae. ... Vinegar is often infused with spices or herbs—as here, with oregano. ... Genera Hyacinthus litwinowii Hyacinthus orientalis Hyacinthus transcaspicus A Hyacinth is any plant of genus Hyacinthus, which are bulbous herbs formerly placed in the lily family Liliaceae but now regarded as the type genus of the separate family Hyacinthaceae. ... A coin is usually a piece of hard material, generally metal and usually in the shape of a disc, which is issued by a government to be used as a form of money. ...

• traditional Iranian pastries such as baghlava, toot, naan-nokhodchi
• dried nuts, berries and raisins (Aajeel)
• lit candles (enlightenment and happiness)
• a mirror
• painted eggs, perhaps one for each member of the family (fertility)
• a bowl with two goldfish (life, and the sign of Pisces which the sun is leaving)
• a bowl of water with an orange in it (the earth floating in space)
• rose water for its magical cleansing powers
• the national colours, for a patriotic touch
• a holy book (e.g., the Qur'an, Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bible, Torah or the Avesta) or a poetry book (almost always either the Shahnama or the Divan of Hafez)

A collection of lit candles on ornate candlesticks A close-up image of a candle showing the wick and the various regions of the flame. ... A mirror is a surface with good specular reflection that is smooth enough to form an image. ... Ukrainian Easter eggs Egg decorating is the easter special. ... Trinomial name Carassius auratus (Linnaeus, 1758) For the baked snack crackers, please see Goldfish (snack). ... Photo of Pisces with added art. ... The colour orange occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum at a wavelength of about 585–620 nanometres. ... Species Between 100 and 150, see list A rose is a flowering shrub of the genus Rosa, and the flower of this shrub. ... Current flag of the Islamic republic of Iran, introduced in 1980. ... The Qurān [1] (Arabic: , literally the recitation; also called The Noble Quran; also transliterated as Quran, Koran (the traditional term in English), and Al-Quran), is the central religious text of Islam. ... The Kitáb-i-Aqdas is the central book of the Baháí Faith, written by Baháulláh, the founder of the religion. ... For other uses, see Bible (disambiguation). ... Poo Poo Tlak Torah () is a Hebrew word meaning teaching, instruction, or law. Itlucky is the central and most important document of Judaism revered by Jews through the ages. ... See Avesta Municipality for the Swedish town Yasna 28. ... Shahnameh Shahnameh Scenes from the Shahnameh carved into reliefs at Tus, where Ferdowsi is buried. ... Hafez, detail of an illumination in a Persian manuscript of the Divan of Hafez, 18th century. ...

Hâjji Fîrûz

The traditional herald of the Norouz season is called Hâjji Fîrûz (or Hadji Pîrûz). He symbolizes the rebirth of the Sumerian god of sacrifice, Domuzi, who was killed at the end of each year and reborn at the beginning of the New Year. He usually uses face paint to make his skin black and wears a red costume. Then he sings and dances through the streets with tambourines and trumpets spreading good cheer and heralds the coming of the New Year. Sumer (or Shumer, Sumeria, Shinar, native ki-en-gir) formed the southern part of Mesopotamia from the time of settlement by the Sumerians until the time of Babylonia. ...

New Year Dishes

• Sabzi Polo Mahi: The New Year's day traditional meal is called Sabzi Polo Mahi, which is rice with green herbs served with fish. The traditional seasonings for Sabzi Polo are parsley, coriander, chives, dill and fenugreek.
• Reshteh Polo: rice cooked with noodles which is said to symbolically help one succeed in life.
• Dolme Barg : A traditional dish of Azeri people, cooked just before the new year. It includes some vegetables, meat and cotyledon which have been cooked and embeded in vine leaf and cooked again. It is considered useful in reaching to wishes.

Sabzi polo is an Iranian (Persian) dish of rice and vegetables, and is usually served with fish. ...

Sizdah Bedar

The thirteenth day of the New Year festival is Sizdah Bedar (meaning "thirteen outdoors"), is a day of festivity in the open, often accompanied by music and dancing. The day is usually spent at family picnics.

The thirteenth day celebrations, Seezdah Bedar, stem from the belief of the ancient Persians that the twelve constellations in the Zodiac controlled the months of the year, and each ruled the earth for a thousand years. At the end of which, the sky and the earth collapsed in chaos. Hence, Nowruz lasts 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 by going outdoors and having picnics and parties.

At the end of the celebrations on this day, the sabzeh grown for the Haft Seen (which has symbolically collected all the sickness and bad luck) is thrown into running water to exorcise the demons (divs) from the household. It is also customary for young single women to tie the leaves of the sabzeh before discarding it, so expressing a wish to be married before the next year's Seezdah Bedar.

Celebration of the Iranian feast, Norouz, by the Kurds

Kurds celebrating Nouruz in Istanbul, 2006.

Main article: Kurdish celebration of Newroz

The Kurds celebrate this Iranian feast between 18th till 21th March. The word Norouz is pronounced as 'Newruz' by the Kurds. It is one of the few ‘peoples celebrations’ that has survived and predates all the major religious festivals. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3072x2048, 2624 KB) Summary Newroz celebration in Istanbul. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3072x2048, 2624 KB) Summary Newroz celebration in Istanbul. ... Kurds celebrating Newroz in Istanbul, 2006. ...

With this festival Kurds gather into the fairgrounds mostly outside the cities to welcome spring. Women wear gaily colored dresses and spangled head scarves and young men wave flags of green, yellow and red, the colors of the Kurdish people. By lighting fire and dancing around it they hold this festival. [6], also see: [7]. The 2006 Sinulog festival in the Philippines Renaissance festival A festival or fest is an event, usually staged by a local community, which centers on some theme, sometimes on some unique aspect of the community. ...

The Kurdish greetings that accompany the festival are Newroz píroz be! meaning Happy Newroz! or Bijí Newroz! meaning Long live Newroz! It has been suggested that Kurdish blogs be merged into this article or section. ...

The festival was illegal until 2000 in Turkey, where most of the Kurds live [8], and Turkish forces arrested Kurds celebrating Newroz [9]. In Newroz 1992 at least 70 people celebrating the festival were killed by Turkish security forces [10]. The official Turkey now celebrates Nevruz as a Turkish spring holiday. Newroz is however still considered as a potent symbol of Kurdish identity in Turkey. Newroz celebrations are usually organised by Kurdish cultural associations and pro-Kurdish political parties. Thus, the Democratic Society Party was a leading force in the organisation of the 2006 Newroz events throughout Turkey. In recent years the Newroz celebration gathers around 1 million participants in Diyarbakir, the biggest city of the Kurdish dominated Southeastern Turkey. As the Kurdish Newroz celebrations in Turkey often are theater for political messages, the events are frequently criticized for rather being political rallies than cultural celebrations. DTP Symbol Democratic Society Party (In Turkish: Demokratik Toplum Partisi, DTP) is a pro-Kurdish social democratic party, considered as the successor to the Democratic Peoples Party. ... Diyarbakir (Syriac: ܐܡܝܕ; Greek: Amida; Turkish spelling: Diyarbakır) is a city in Turkey, situated on the banks of the River Tigris. ...

Bahá'í Faith

The Bahá'í Faith, a religion with its origin in Iran, celebrates this day (spelling it "Naw Rúz") as a religious holiday marking not only the new year according to the Bahá'í calendar, but the end of their Nineteen Day Fast. Persian Bahá'ís still observe many Iranian customs associated with it, but Bahá'ís all over the world celebrate it as a festive day, according to local custom. American Bahá'í communities, for example, may have a potluck dinner, along with prayers and readings from Bahá'í scripture. While Naw Rúz, according to scripture, begins on the vernal equinox, Bahá'ís outside Iran currently celebrate it on March 21, regardless of what day the equinox falls. Bahá'ís are required to suspend work and school in observance. Seat of the Universal House of Justice in Haifa, Israel, governing body of the Baháís The Baháí Faith is a religion founded by Baháulláh in 19th century Persia. ... The Baháí calendar, common to the Baháí Faith, is a solar calendar with regular years 365 days long and leap years 366 days long as explained within the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. ... The Nineteen Day Fast (March 2 - March 20) is a nineteen-day period of the year, during which members of the Baháí Faith adhere to a sunrise to sunset fast. ... March 21 is the 80th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (81st in leap years). ...

Although the Persian calendar is very precise about the very moment that the astronomical new year begins, in Iran, the 24-hour period (as per "wall clock" time) in which the astronomical new year begins is treated as Norouz.

Fasli

Adherents of the Fasli variant of the Zoroastrian calendar also celebrate Norouz as the first day of the New Year. Other variants of the Zoroastrian calendar celebrate the Norouz twice: once as Jamshedi Norouz on March 21st as the start of spring, and a second Norouz, in July/August (see Variations of the Zoroastrian calendar), as either new year's eve or new year's day. That the second Nowruz is celebrated by some as the last day of the year (contrary to what might be expected from a term that means "new day"), may be due to the fact that in ancient Persia the day began at sunset, while in later Persian belief the day began at sunrise. The Zoroastrian calendar is a religious calendar used by members of the Zoroastrian faith, and it is an approximation of the (tropical) solar calendar. ... The New Year is an event that happens when a culture celebrates the end of one year and the beginning of the next. ... The Zoroastrian calendar is a religious calendar used by members of the Zoroastrian faith, and it is an approximation of the (tropical) solar calendar. ... Jamshid (in Persian: ‎) is a common Persian male first name. ... The Zoroastrian calendar is a religious calendar used by members of the Zoroastrian faith, and it is an approximation of the (tropical) solar calendar. ...

Norouz in Caucasus region and Central Asia

Norouz is celebrated by Iranians publicly worldwide. It is publicly celebrated in the Caucasus region and central Asia. It is a colorful holiday in: Afghanistan [11], Azerbaijan [12], Turkmenistan [13], Tajikistan [14], Uzbekistan [15], Pakistan [16], Kazakhstan [17], and Kyrgyzstan [18]. The Ethnolinguistic patchwork of the modern Caucasus - CIA map Russia Georgia Azerbaijan (Azer. ... Map of Central Asia showing three sets of possible boundaries for the region Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a vast landlocked region of Asia. ...

Norouz is also celebrated by Kurds in Iraq [19] and Turkey [20].

Other notable celebrations take place by Iranians in America, Los Angeles [21] and in United Kingdom, mainly in London [22]. Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ...

Trivia

On June 1, 2006, the word for Norouz was used in the final session of the 2006 Scripps National Spelling Bee in the United States. 11-year-old contestant Allion Salvador of Fort Lauderdale Florida was eliminated from the top 13 contestants in the final rounds for offering the spelling "naoruse" rather than the spelling "nauruz" that was considered correct for the competition [23] [24]. The official pronouncer prompted Salvador with a pronunciation in which the first syllable was pronounced like the English word "now" rather than "no", and indicated that no alternative pronunciations were available. The origin of the word was described as Persian and the definition given was, approximately, the Persian New Year holiday. It is noteworthy that there appears to be little agreement over how to spell this word in English and that neither the spelling considered official by Scripps nor the offered pronunciation would appear to be considered correct by most people familiar with the word [25][26]. In fact, the spelling "nauruz" considered officially correct for the competition does not appear in the above list of spelling variations (as of 15 June 2006).

External links

• Noruz at Encyclopedia Britannica
• Noruz: The Iranian new year festival
• NOROOZ, THE NEW YEAR OF THE IRANIAN PEOPLES by The Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies at University of London'.
• The Iranian New Year: NOROOZ, The Most Important Event In Iranian Culture
• Norouz at Webster's On-line dictionary
• Information about Nowruz
• Ancient Iranian Calendars, Customs, Festivals & Rituals (CAIS)
• The Festival of Nowruz
• The New Year's Ceremonies and Tradition
• Nowruz - celebration of the spring Equinox
• STRUGGLE OF DAY AND NIGHT by Prof A.H. Zarrinkoub.
• UNESCO To Register National Iranian New Year of Norouz as Global Heritage
• Norouz in the Course of History
• Norouz Celebrations in Tajikistan
• How many seconds spent from nowrouz start time?
• The Anthropological Research Foundation of Iran's website on Norouz
• Kurd's - Persian New Year and its Assyrian - Babylonian origin
• Akitu (the New Year Festival) and Newruz (Nuroz)

See also

• Iranian festivals