Nowruz translates to “new day”. It signifies the arrival of Spring and is considered the first day of the year. Which is why it’s also called Persian New Year. It has been celebrated for over 3,000 years. This celebration lands on the Spring Equinox. This year Nowruz lands on Sunday March 20, 2022.
Nowruz, also known as Persian New Year, is a holiday celebrated in South, West, and Central Asia. Similar holidays such as Trndez are also celebrated in North Africa and Albania. It is a celebration that is celebrated in majority Muslim countries but it is not a Muslim celebration although some Muslims have adopted it depending on which scholars they follow. Nowruz even predates islam as it was originated as a Zorastrian holiday in Ancient Afghanistan/Iran, or what was then known as “Persia”.
There are many meaningful traditional aspects of the Nowruz celebration. Much like western spring traditions, Nowruz also focuses on rebirth, physical and spiritual cleansing, and turning a new leaf. It is held during spring because spring symbolizes regrowth and coming out of dark and cold times. The first tradition of Nowruz is done on the last Tuesday before the holiday. People are to jump over a small bonfire. Jumping over the fire symbolizes that you are leaving last year’s worries in the past and preparing yourself for the new year.
The next tradition is called haft-sin which translates to 7 S’. You choose 7 items that start with the letter ‘s’ in Farsi/Dari and place it on an altar. These 7 items must have significant meaning for you. Common items found in a haft-sin altar are wheatgrass which symbolizes rebirth, sweet pudding which symbolizes strength, wild olives which symbolize love, sumac which symbolizes sunrise, apple which symbolizes beauty, vinegar which symbolizes patience, and garlic which symbolizes health.
Along with 7 items that start with the letter ‘s’ you also find these items in many altars; a book to represent wisdom, a goldfish to represent progress, an egg to represent fertility, a mirror to represent self reflection, and a candle to represent enlightenment. All of these meaningful items are beautifully displayed and are accessible to those who are rich, poor, and living in any country.
People in Afghanistan who celebrate Nowruz also prepare a dish called half mewa which consists of 7 fruits and nuts that are submerged in a watery sweet syrup.
Nowruz is a celebration loved by those all over the world. It is a time of reflection, and spending time with family. It is an extremely old tradition and it is very important that it is kept alive, especially by people who are products of diaspora living in countries that don’t celebrate Nowruz to the same extent that their home countries do. Happy Nowruz to those who celebrate and I wish you a prosperous New Year!