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| NooRuz is a celebration of life! No Ruz, new day or New Year as the Iranians call it, is a celebration of spring Equinox. What we have today as No Ruz with its’ uniquely Iranian characteristics has been celebrated for at least 3000 years and is deeply rooted in the traditions of Zoroastrian belief system. This was the religion of Ancient Persia before the advent of Islam 1400 years ago. It is known as the mother religion in the area. The first person who re-organized the calendar was Iranian, Read them Here < 1 >. Iranian New Years Customs:- New Year is called Nouruz which means New Day, new life. New clothing is worn. The date is March 20 or 21st, follows the vernal equinox, and lasts 13 days. On the Wednesday before New Years people jump over fires to purify them. It is bad luck to stay indoors on the thirteenth day and they attend picnics and watch the hereos vaarzech baustani dance. The male dancers juggle pins and chant to drums. Sprouted wheat and lentils are thrown into an ocean or lake.
Foods: A haft seen table is set with seven foods that begin with the letter s in Farsi: samanoo (wheat pudding), sumac (berries), Serkeh (vinegar), seeb (apple), sekkeh (gold coin), sombol (flower), and sear (garlic). The Koran, pictures of relatives, pomegranates, colored eggs, 94 pennies, and a bowl of goldfish are placed on the table. Noodle soup is eaten. The patriarch of the family hands out dollar bills that were blessed and kept between pages of the Koran. He signs each bill, dates it with both the American and Iranian years (If in USA) and gives them to the family. It is bad luck to spend it.
<<Persian Calendar >>>>> click on top line to see the persain calendar 1389. <1>The first person who re-organized the calendar successfully was Omar Khayyam. the mathematician and astronomer of 5th century H (11-12th AD). He drew a chart for the year and put the start of the year at the moment of Aries’ entrance to the house of Sun. He made a calendar of 6 months with 31 days, and 6 months with 30 days making a total 365 days, and suggested the addition of 1 day every four years and also addition of a month every 13,000 years. This is the most complete calendar ever made. Khayyam called it “the Jalali Calendar” because of “Jalal” al-Din Malekshah Saljuqi, his patron king. Currently, his calendar is called the “Khorshidi” (Sun based) calendar, as oppose to the Arabic “Ghamari” (moon based) calendar. Although Khayyam was Iranian and he created this calendar based on the pre-Islamic calendar of Zoroastrians, it was not used widely in Iran until the 1925 AD (1304 HS) when Reza Shah Pahlavi ordered it to be used instead of “Ghamari” calendar. In the process of finding names for the months, there are some interesting mistakes happened which are note-worthy. The first month is originally called “ Fravartishn”, but when they wanted to choose it as the name, they found it too hard, so they made it shorter by calling it Farvardin. Second month was originally Ardibehesht, but it became Ordibehesht. Fifth month, Mordad, was suppose to be Amordad, but the Mordad form sounded better. Seventh months Mehr was “Mithr” at first, but ‘th’ sound is hard to pronounce in Farsi, so they chose the acceptable replacement of ‘h’. Azar, the ninth months was “Atar” at first, but it sounds too Zoroastrian, so ‘z’ was found to be more acceptable. And finally, the last month was “Esfandarmadh (z)”, but oh god, who is going to say that! So “Esfand” was thought of as more suitable, although it is the name of a spice! | |
| History of Norooz<3>
Norooz, in word, means "new day". It is the new day that starts the year, traditionally the exact astronomical beginning of the spring.
For thousands of years, Norooz was rotating. The Zoroastrian religious calendar, used before Islam, consisted of 12 months with 30 days each, making 360 days, plus a “stolen five” (Panjeh-ye Mostareghe) days that was held at the end of each year, adding up to 365 days. Early astronomers were not aware of the leap years and did not add the one day more every four years, thus caused the rotation of Norooz. The other fact was that during the anarchic times and moments of unrest in the country such as time of Alexander, or end of Ashkanids, people forgot to add the five stolen days, and this resulted in another problem in the calendar. During the Sasanid era Tansar, the head priest (Mubedhan-i Mubedh) of Ardeshir I unsuccessfully tried to organise the calendar. There are accounts of Norooz in autumn, winter or even summer!
Now, in ahistorical sense, Norooz is the oldest Iranian holiday. Together with Mehregan (entrance of Libra to the house of Sun), it was one of the “two” new years of ancient Aryans. Mehregan was the first day of the “cold” year (autumn and winter), and Norooz was the start of the “warm” year (spring and summer). It is said that Norooz is chosen as the official holiday by King Yama (Jamshid), the ancient Iranian king who is the hero of the mythological story of expanding the earth. According to the story, when Yama expanded the earth three times, he ordered the day of the last expansions to be called Norooz, a New Day for the Iranian race.
The truth most likely lies somewhere in between this story and the fact that Norooz is the beginning of the spring. It could be that Norooz was already a holiday for the Aryans, but when it coincided with an important event in the reign of Jamshid, it was chosen to be the "special" holiday.
What ever it might have been, Norooz became the most important holiday in Iran after the Islam. Comparing to Norooz, Mehregan and Sadeh (another important Iranian holiday) lost their importance. The selection of Norooz as the only standing "Iranian" holiday after Islam might also be a direct result of the limitations imposed on Iranians by Moselm rulers. For Iranians after Islam, Norooz was a sign of holding on to the national values. It helped them to remember their heritage in spite of cultural attacks of Arabs, Mongols, Turks, and Westerners. Norooz continues its role of national pride in this world of cultural trades and influences. For the Iranians out side home, Norooz is an element of nostalgia and a reminder of home, at least once a year. Although Norooz has some outside influences like Koran and the Arabic prayer during the beginning of the year, but it still holds the distinctively Iranian values of health, green-ness, life, light, and happiness. Noroozetan Pirooz.
Traditions Of Norooz
Norooz or Iranian New Year is the beginning of the spring. We calculate the exact astronomical start of the spring and take that as the beginning of the year. This exact second is called "Saal Tahvil".
Iranians consider Norooz as their biggest celebration of the year, before the New Year, they start cleaning their houses (Khaane Tekaani), they buy new clothes, and they grow green grass (Sabzeh). For the actual Saal Tahvil, they put seven items on the table-linen that all start with "S". This is called "Haft Seen". These seven things are: Seeb (apple), Sabzeh (green grass), Serkeh (vinegar), Samanoo (a meal made out of wheat), Senjed (a special kind of berry), Sekkeh (coin), and Seer (garlic). Sometimes instead of Serkeh they put Somagh (sumac, an Iranian spice).
After the Saal Tahvil, people hug and kiss each other and wish each other a happy new year. Then they give presents to each other, usually older ones to the younger ones. During the holidays, people go to see their relatives. Foods and snacks are usually prepared; snacks are "aajil"(a combination of different nuts with raisins and other sweet stuff) and fruits. When the guest is leaving, the host gives some "Eid" to the kids, this Eid is often some money; it is not very common to give toys as the Eid.
At the thirteenths day of the New Year, the people go to picnics. This is called Sizdah Bedar. This is the most popular day of the holidays among children because they get to play a lot! Also in this day, people throw the Sabzeh away; they believe Sabzeh should not stay in the house after "Sizdah Bedar".- Iranian New Years Customs:)
Another tradition of the New Year celebrations is "Chahar Shanbe Soori". It takes place before Saal Tahvil, at the last Wednesday of the old year, well actually Tuesday night! People make fire and they jump from the fire and sing a little song:
Zardi-e Man AZ to
Sorkhi-e to AZ Man
It means: I will give you my yellow color (sign of sickness), and you give me your red colour (sign of healthiness). This is because in the older times when Iranians where Zoroastrian, they believed fire
can cure people and take the sickness away.Norooz is a fun time for all of the Iranians, old and young.
Jealousy isn't pretty, but as long as humans have managed to become involved in relationships, it seems to be a necessary evil. So when it comes along now, your job will be to handle it -- and not let it handle you.  
  | | Contin...... Hajji Firuz  In harmony with the rebirth of nature, the Iranian New Year Celebration, or NOROOZ, always begins on the first day of spring. Nouruz ceremonies are symbolic representations of two ancient concepts - the End and the Rebirth; or Good and Evil. A few weeks before the New Year, Iranians clean and rearrange their homes. They make new clothes, bake pastries and germinate seeds as sign of renewal. The ceremonial cloth is set up in each household. Troubadours, referred to as Hajji Firuz, disguise themselves with makeup and wear brightly colored outfits of satin. These Hajji Firuz, singing and dancing, parade as a carnival through the streets with tambourines, kettle drums, and trumpets to spread good cheer and the news of the coming new year. The origins of Nouruz are unknown, but they go back several thousand years predating the Armenian Dynasty. The ancient Iranians had a festival called "Farvardgan" which lasted ten days, and took place at the end of the solar year. It appears that this was a festival of sorrow and mourning, signifying the end of life while the festival of Nouruz, at the beginning of spring signified rebirth, and was a time of great joy and celebration.The other ancient symbolic representation of Nouruz is based around the idea of the triumph of good over evil. According to the Shah-nameh (The Book of Kings), the national Iranian epic by Ferdowsi, Nouruz came into being during the reign of the mythical King Jamshid; when he defeated the evil demons (divs) seizing their treasures, becoming master of everything but the heavens and bringing prosperity to his people. To reach the heavens, Jamshid ordered a throne to be built with the jewels he had captured. He then sat on the throne and commanded the demons to lift him up into the sky. When the sun's rays hit the throne, the sky was illuminated with a multitude of colors. The people were amazed at the King's power and they showered him with even more jewels and treasures. This day of great celebration was named Nouruz, and was recognized as the first day of the year. Haji Firooz is the black faced character who is the traditional herald of the Nowrooz season and begins to wander the streets and alleyways in his red costume weeks before the end of the year. The sound of his songs and the sight of his dance is often analogous to hearing Christmas music in a shopping mall, telling all that Nowrooz is in the air. Although the blackness of his skin has been the source of some racial controversy in Iranian intellectual circles, Haji's intentions and spirit have always been well received and loved by the people.
Haji Firooz History:
Hadji Firooz was a man in red clothes who went from street to street singing and beating a tambourine on New Year's Eve (which is also the eve of spring). He was usually accompanied by one or two other persons. It is said that he and his companions were symbols of an old custom in Azerbaijan, called "Chisdon Chikhdim," according to which Haji Firooz sang from the streets to inform people that spring had come and that winter has gone. In return, people gave him gifts or money for the good news that he brought.
(Sofreh-e Haft Sin) Haft-Sinn
A ceremonial table called Sofreh-e Haft Sinn (cloth of seven dishes), name of each dish beginning with the Persian letter Sinn.
A few days prior to the New Year, a special cover is spread on to the Persian carpet or on a table in every Persian household. This ceremonial table is called cloth of seven dishes, (each one beginning with the Persian letter Sinn). The number seven has been sacred in Iran since the ancient times, and the seven dishes stand for the seven angelic heralds of life-rebirth, health, happiness, prosperity, joy, patience, and beauty.
The symbolic dishes consist of:
1. Sabzeh or sprouts, usually wheat or lentil representing rebirth.
2. Samanu is a pudding in which common wheat sprouts are transformed and given new life as a sweet, creamy pudding and represents the ultimate sophistication of Persian cooking.
3. Seeb means apple and represents health and beauty.
4. Senjed the sweet, dry fruit of the Lotus tree represents love. It has been said that when lotus tree is in full bloom, its fragrance and its fruit make people fall in love and become oblivious to all else.
5. Seer which is garlic in Persian represents medicine.
6. Somaq sumac berries represent the color of sunrise; with the appearance of the sun Good conquers Evil.
7. Serkeh or vinegar represents age and patience.
In harmony with the rebirth of nature, the Iranian New Year Celebration, or NOROOZ, always begins on the first day of spring. Nouruz ceremonies are symbolic representations of two ancient concepts - the End and the Rebirth; or Good and Evil. A few weeks before the New Year, Iranians clean and rearrange their homes. They make new clothes, bake pastries and germinate seeds as sign of renewal. The ceremonial cloth (Sofreh-e Haft Sin) is set up in each household.
  عید باستانی نوروز و فرا رسیدن سال جدید را به شما تبریک گفته و سالی پربرکت و شادی را برای شما و همچنین اعضای خانواده شما آرزومندم
هر روزتان نوروز
نوروزتان پیروز   | |
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