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Eid mubarak.
Nowruz
نوروز
Table set with Haft-Seen Iranian ceremony items
Also called Albanian: Novruzit
Azerbaijani: Novruz
Dari: نوروز Nauruz
Georgian: ნავრუზი Navruzi
Gujarati: નવરોઝ Navarōjha
Kazakh: Наурыз Nawryz
Kurdish: نەورۆز Newroz
Kyrgyz: Нооруз Nooruz
Ossetian: Новруз Novruz
Pashto: نوروز Nawróz
Tajik: Наврӯз Navrūz
Tati: Nuruz
Turkish: Nevruz
Uzbek: Navruz
Turkmen: Nevruz
Observed by
Iran
Afghanistan
Albania[1][2]
Azerbaijan
China[3] (by Tajiks and Turkic peoples)
Georgia[4]
India[5] (by Parsis)
Iraq (by Kurds and Turkmens)[6]
Kazakhstan[7]
Kyrgyzstan[7]
Pakistan[8]
Russia[9]
Syria[10][11] (by Kurds)
Tajikistan[12]
Turkey
(by Azerbaijanis, Kurds and Yörüks[13])[14]
Turkmenistan[15]
Uzbekistan
Nowruz (Persian: نوروز Nowruz; [nouˈɾuːz]; literally "New Day") is the name of the Iranian New Year,[30][31] also known as the Persian New Year,[32][33] which is celebrated worldwide by the Iranian peoples, along with some other ethno-linguistic groups, as the beginning of the New Year.
It has been celebrated for over 3,000 years in Western Asia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Black Sea Basin and the Balkans.[34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42] It marks the first day of the first month (Farvardin) in the Iranian calendar.[43]
Nowruz is the day of the vernal equinox, and marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. It usually occurs on 21 March or the previous or following day, depending on where it is observed. The moment the suncrosses the celestial equator and equalizes night and day is calculated exactly every year, and families gather together to observe the rituals.
Although having Iranian and religious Zoroastrian origins, Nowruz has been celebrated by people from diverse ethno-linguistic communities for thousands of years. It is a secular holiday for most celebrants that is enjoyed by people of several different faiths, but remains a holy day for Zoroastrians.[44]
The term Nowruz is a Persian compound word, consisting of the words now and ruz. Now (Old Persian: nava), which means "new" and descends from Proto-Indo-European *néṷos, is cognate with English new, German neu, Latinnovus, Russian novyj and Sanskrit náva. Ruz(Middle Persian: rōz, rōj; Avestan: raocah), which means "day" in Modern Persian, is descended from Proto-Iranian *raučah-, itself derived from Proto-Indo-European *leṷk-. The original meaning of the word, however, was "light". It is related to Armenian loys, English light, Latin lux, Sanskrit rúci and Slovenianluč.[45][46]
Regional variations in pronunciation
The Persian pronunciation differs in the many dialects of the language. While the eastern dialects have preserved the diphthong nau(IPA: [næuˈɾoːz]), the western dialects usually pronounce it with the diphthong now (IPA: [nouˈɾuːz]), and some colloquial variants (such as the Tehrani accent) pronounce it with a long monophthong (IPA: [noːˈɾuːz]).
History and origin
Nowruz is partly rooted in the tradition of Iranian religions. Among other ideas, Zoroastrianism is the first monotheistic 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 festivals and Nowruz, which occurs at the spring equinox. According to Mary Boyce,[53] "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.[54] Between sunset on the day of the sixth Gahambar and sunrise of Nowruz, Hamaspathmaedaya (later known, in its extended form, as Frawardinegan; and today known as Farvardigan) was celebrated. This and the Gahambars are the only festivals named in the surviving text of the Avesta.
Achaemenid period
A bas-relief at the Apadana, Persepolis, depicting Armeniansbringing their famous wine to the king.
It has been suggested that the famous Persepolis complex, or at least the palace of Apadanaand the Hundred Columns Hall, were built for the specific purpose of celebrating a feast related to Nowruz. Although there may be no mention of the term Nowruz in recorded Achaemenid inscriptions,[58] 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.[59] It was an important day during the time of the Achaemenids (c. 550–330 BCE), where kings from different nations under the Achaemenid Empire used to bring gifts to the King of Kings of Iran. The significance of the ceremony in the Achaemenid Empire was such that King Cambyses II's appointment as the king of Babylon was legitimized only after his participation in the referred annual Achaemenid festival.[60] It was, therefore, a highly auspicious occasion for the ancient Iranian peoples.
In 539 BC, 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 is adapted from an Iranian novella about the shrewdness of harem queens, suggesting that Purim may be a transformation of the Iranian New Year.[61] A specific novella is not identified and Encyclopædia 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". The Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics notes that the Purim holiday is based on a lunar calendar, while Nowruz occurs at the spring equinox (solar calendar). The two holidays are therefore celebrated on different dates but within a few weeks of each other, depending on the year. Given their temporal associations, it is possible that the Jews and Iranians of the time may have shared or adopted similar customs for these holidays.[62]The story of Purim as told in the Book of Estherhas been dated around 625–465 BC (although the story takes place with the Jews under the rule of the Achaemenid Empire and the Jews had come under Iranian rule in 539 BC), while Nowruz is thought to have first been celebrated between 555–330 BC. It remains unclear which holiday was established first.
Arsacid and Sassanid periods
Nowruz was the holiday of Arsacid dynastic empires who ruled Iran (248–224 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.[58] Before Sassanidsestablished 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 Mehrgan, a Zoroastrian and Iranian festival celebrated in honor of Mithra.[63]
Extensive records on the celebration of Nowruz appear following the accession of Ardashir I, the founder of the Sasanian Empire (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 Muslim conquest
Nowruz, along with Sadeh (celebrated in mid-winter), survived in society after the Muslim conquest of Iran in 650 CE. Other celebrations such the Gahambars and Mehrgan were eventually side-lined or were only followed by the Zoroastrians who carried them. It was adopted as the main royal holiday during the Abbasid period.
In the book Nowruznama ("Book of the New Year", which is attributed to Omar Khayyam,[64]a well known Persian poet and mathematician), a vivid description of the celebration in the courts of the kings of Iran is provided:[65] "From the era of Kai Khosrow till the days of Yazdegard, last of the pre-Islamic kings of Iran, the royal custom was thus: on the first day of the New Year, Now Ruz, the king's first visitor was the High Mobad 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, and a bow. In the language of Iran, he would then glorify God and praise the monarch. This was the address of the High Mobad 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 Sraosha, 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 gestures 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; thy 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!"
Nowruz
نوروز
Table set with Haft-Seen Iranian ceremony items
Also called Albanian: Novruzit
Azerbaijani: Novruz
Dari: نوروز Nauruz
Georgian: ნავრუზი Navruzi
Gujarati: નવરોઝ Navarōjha
Kazakh: Наурыз Nawryz
Kurdish: نەورۆز Newroz
Kyrgyz: Нооруз Nooruz
Ossetian: Новруз Novruz
Pashto: نوروز Nawróz
Tajik: Наврӯз Navrūz
Tati: Nuruz
Turkish: Nevruz
Uzbek: Navruz
Turkmen: Nevruz
Observed by
(by Azerbaijanis, Kurds and Yörüks[13])[14]
Nowruz (Persian: نوروز Nowruz; [nouˈɾuːz]; literally "New Day") is the name of the Iranian New Year,[30][31] also known as the Persian New Year,[32][33] which is celebrated worldwide by the Iranian peoples, along with some other ethno-linguistic groups, as the beginning of the New Year.
It has been celebrated for over 3,000 years in Western Asia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Black Sea Basin and the Balkans.[34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42] It marks the first day of the first month (Farvardin) in the Iranian calendar.[43]
Nowruz is the day of the vernal equinox, and marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. It usually occurs on 21 March or the previous or following day, depending on where it is observed. The moment the suncrosses the celestial equator and equalizes night and day is calculated exactly every year, and families gather together to observe the rituals.
Although having Iranian and religious Zoroastrian origins, Nowruz has been celebrated by people from diverse ethno-linguistic communities for thousands of years. It is a secular holiday for most celebrants that is enjoyed by people of several different faiths, but remains a holy day for Zoroastrians.[44]
The term Nowruz is a Persian compound word, consisting of the words now and ruz. Now (Old Persian: nava), which means "new" and descends from Proto-Indo-European *néṷos, is cognate with English new, German neu, Latinnovus, Russian novyj and Sanskrit náva. Ruz(Middle Persian: rōz, rōj; Avestan: raocah), which means "day" in Modern Persian, is descended from Proto-Iranian *raučah-, itself derived from Proto-Indo-European *leṷk-. The original meaning of the word, however, was "light". It is related to Armenian loys, English light, Latin lux, Sanskrit rúci and Slovenianluč.[45][46]
Regional variations in pronunciation
The Persian pronunciation differs in the many dialects of the language. While the eastern dialects have preserved the diphthong nau(IPA: [næuˈɾoːz]), the western dialects usually pronounce it with the diphthong now (IPA: [nouˈɾuːz]), and some colloquial variants (such as the Tehrani accent) pronounce it with a long monophthong (IPA: [noːˈɾuːz]).
History and origin
Nowruz is partly rooted in the tradition of Iranian religions. Among other ideas, Zoroastrianism is the first monotheistic 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 festivals and Nowruz, which occurs at the spring equinox. According to Mary Boyce,[53] "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.[54] Between sunset on the day of the sixth Gahambar and sunrise of Nowruz, Hamaspathmaedaya (later known, in its extended form, as Frawardinegan; and today known as Farvardigan) was celebrated. This and the Gahambars are the only festivals named in the surviving text of the Avesta.
Achaemenid period
A bas-relief at the Apadana, Persepolis, depicting Armeniansbringing their famous wine to the king.
It has been suggested that the famous Persepolis complex, or at least the palace of Apadanaand the Hundred Columns Hall, were built for the specific purpose of celebrating a feast related to Nowruz. Although there may be no mention of the term Nowruz in recorded Achaemenid inscriptions,[58] 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.[59] It was an important day during the time of the Achaemenids (c. 550–330 BCE), where kings from different nations under the Achaemenid Empire used to bring gifts to the King of Kings of Iran. The significance of the ceremony in the Achaemenid Empire was such that King Cambyses II's appointment as the king of Babylon was legitimized only after his participation in the referred annual Achaemenid festival.[60] It was, therefore, a highly auspicious occasion for the ancient Iranian peoples.
In 539 BC, 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 is adapted from an Iranian novella about the shrewdness of harem queens, suggesting that Purim may be a transformation of the Iranian New Year.[61] A specific novella is not identified and Encyclopædia 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". The Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics notes that the Purim holiday is based on a lunar calendar, while Nowruz occurs at the spring equinox (solar calendar). The two holidays are therefore celebrated on different dates but within a few weeks of each other, depending on the year. Given their temporal associations, it is possible that the Jews and Iranians of the time may have shared or adopted similar customs for these holidays.[62]The story of Purim as told in the Book of Estherhas been dated around 625–465 BC (although the story takes place with the Jews under the rule of the Achaemenid Empire and the Jews had come under Iranian rule in 539 BC), while Nowruz is thought to have first been celebrated between 555–330 BC. It remains unclear which holiday was established first.
Arsacid and Sassanid periods
Nowruz was the holiday of Arsacid dynastic empires who ruled Iran (248–224 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.[58] Before Sassanidsestablished 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 Mehrgan, a Zoroastrian and Iranian festival celebrated in honor of Mithra.[63]
Extensive records on the celebration of Nowruz appear following the accession of Ardashir I, the founder of the Sasanian Empire (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 Muslim conquest
Nowruz, along with Sadeh (celebrated in mid-winter), survived in society after the Muslim conquest of Iran in 650 CE. Other celebrations such the Gahambars and Mehrgan were eventually side-lined or were only followed by the Zoroastrians who carried them. It was adopted as the main royal holiday during the Abbasid period.
In the book Nowruznama ("Book of the New Year", which is attributed to Omar Khayyam,[64]a well known Persian poet and mathematician), a vivid description of the celebration in the courts of the kings of Iran is provided:[65] "From the era of Kai Khosrow till the days of Yazdegard, last of the pre-Islamic kings of Iran, the royal custom was thus: on the first day of the New Year, Now Ruz, the king's first visitor was the High Mobad 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, and a bow. In the language of Iran, he would then glorify God and praise the monarch. This was the address of the High Mobad 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 Sraosha, 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 gestures 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; thy 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!"
