Although the United Nations declared March 21, 2010 at the initiative of several countries, the celebrations date back three thousand years before Christ, according to researchers.
Since then, Nowruz has been celebrated in Central Asia, the Balkans, the Caucasus, the Black Sea basin, the Middle East and other regions, to celebrate the exact day of the spring equinox, as a reminder that no winter lasts forever or how it will be. Same, there is no eternal evil according to tradition.
It is considered one of the first celebrations shared by both East and West, and declared in 2009 as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, by UNESCO.
The name of this day changes depending on the region we are in, although it looks the same in almost all languages and is written with similar letters, Nowruz, Navruz, Nowruz, Navruz or Nauriz and comes from the expression nava which means new and the expression rəzaŋh which means day or light in the Avestan language It is one of the oldest languages.
The short translation is a new day, but Nowruz celebrates the fertility of the land and the arrival of the right time to start farming, but most of the rituals come from Zoroastrianism, a religion that appeared at that time in Iran that tells of the fight of two opposing forces.
In this case, it is between Ahura Mazda, the god of good and light, against Angra Mainyu, the god of evil and darkness, who identifies with the onset of a winning spring and assumes that good always triumphs over evil.
The holiday survived the Muslim conquest of Persia in the seventh century and the decline in popularity of Zoroastrianism, and spread throughout the world thanks to the diaspora of the Persian people.
Tradition and the present
Many countries also give a cultural nuance, opening exhibitions, presenting plays related to the theme, and holding seminars around Nowruz.
Traditionally, it is celebrated on the vernal equinox, but many begin preparations early and in the preceding days perform ritual dances, while filling the house’s bowls with water, in an effort to ward off misfortune.
On the last Wednesday before the festival, they celebrate Charshanbe Suri, a night when they jump over the fire or go from door to door knocking with spoons to drive away evils, and others visit tombs and make offerings to the dead, who they are believed to come to visit before the onset of the spring rite.
The festival focuses on fertility and new life, so some celebrate seeds and eggs, and tables covered with seven symbolic objects called sin-pit are placed in homes.
Haft means seven and sin (or “visible”) is the letter “s” in Persian, and all beings begin with this letter, including seed sprouts that symbolize rebirth.
Sanjad, known as the silver berry or the Persian olive, which awakens love; Garlic for apple fertility protection. sumac, a species associated with love; Vinegar is for patience and quail, a pudding made from sprouted wheat, is for wealth. The table is also accompanied by a Koran, mirrors and poetry.
Although in the Iranian Encyclopedia, the table tradition is indicated a little closer in time, since it became popular in the last century.
It is also a public holiday in Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iraqi Kurdistan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia’s Bayan-olji province, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, and is widely celebrated in places like Turkey, India, and other places with Persian enclaves, as well as in countries with a diaspora.
March 21 is officially recognized as Universal Day of Nowruz, although the holiday itself is celebrated between March 19 and 22, according to calendars and vernal equinox accounts.
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