Although March 21, 2010 was proclaimed by the United Nations (UN) at the initiative of several countries, the celebrations date back to three thousand years BC, according to researchers.
Nowruz has since been observed in Central Asia, the Balkans, the Caucasus, the Black Sea Basin, the Middle East, and other regions to commemorate the exact day of the vernal equinox, as a reminder that no winter lasts forever, or what it would be alike According to tradition, no evil is eternal.
It is considered one of the first festivals between East and West to be declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by Unesco in 2009.
The name of this day changes depending on the region we are in, although it sounds the same in almost all languages and is written with similar letters, Nowruz, Navruz, Nooruz, Nevruz or Nauryz and comes from the expression nava, which means new and the expression rəzaŋh, meaning day or light, in the Avestan language, one of the oldest.
The abbreviated translation is New Day, but Nowruz celebrates the fertility of the earth and the arrival of the auspicious time to start planting, but most of the rituals derive from Zoroastrian, a religion that originated in Iran at the time, telling the struggle of two opposing forces .
In this case between Ahura Mazda, god of good and light, against Angra Mainyu, god of evil and darkness, who decides the winner with the onset of spring and assumes that good will always triumph over evil.
The holiday survived the Islamic conquest of Persia in the 7th century and the decline in the popularity of Zoroastrianism, and spread around the world thanks to the diaspora of the Persian people.
TRADITION AND PRESENT
Many countries also give a cultural nuance, where exhibitions are opened, plays are presented on the topic and symposiums are held around Nowruz.
Traditionally, it is celebrated on the vernal equinox, but many begin preparations earlier, performing ritual dances in the days leading up while filling the house’s vats with water to ward off the misfortune.
On the last Wednesday before the festival, they celebrate the Charshanbe Suri, a night in which they jump over the fire or go door to door knocking with spoons to drive out evil, others visit the cemeteries and make offerings for the dead, the there are believed to be visiting before the spring rite begins.
The festival focuses on fertility and new life, so some celebrate with seeds and eggs, and tables are set up in homes covered with seven symbolic objects called imprisonment.
Haft means seven, and sin (or “seen”) is the letter “s” in Farsi, and all objects begin with that letter, including seedlings, which symbolize rebirth.
The Senjed, known as the Silverberry or Persian Olive, that awakens love; garlic for protection; the apple, fertility; sumac, a species associated with love; Vinegar for patience and samanu, a pudding made from sprouted wheat, for wealth, the table is also accompanied by a Koran, mirrors and poetry.
Although the Iranian encyclopedia notes that the tradition of the table is somewhat closer in time, since it became fashionable in the last century.
It is also an official holiday in Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iraqi Kurdistan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolian Bayan-Olgii Province, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan and is celebrated in places like Türkiye, India, and other places Persian enclaves as well as in countries where the diaspora lives.
March 21 is officially recognized as International Nowruz Day, although according to vernal equinox calendars and calculations, the holiday itself is celebrated between March 19 and 22.
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