Los Angeles 2004 - Celebrating Persian New Year Nourouz
Attending Persian New Year, Nourouz celebration in 2004 in
Los Angeles with former Mayor James Hahn, where the city employs over
1000 Persian (Iranian) professionals in various departments and positions
of leadership.
Nourouz Persian New year
Nowrooz (No Ruz or Norooz), the vernal equinox (21 March), is the Iranian new year festival. The word itself literally means "new day" in Persian (Farsi) language and the festival marks the beginning of the solar year as well as the new year on the Iranian and several other national calendars.
At its core, the Nowrooz festival celebrates the awakening of the natural life. This
awakening symbolizes the triumph of good, winning against the evil forces of darkness that are represented by the Winter. Nowrooz is the point when the oppressive presence of the cold Winter finally begins to retrieve with the commencement of the lively and hopeful Spring. This symbolic and poetic change corresponds to the mathematical instance of the sun leaving the zodiac of Pisces and entering the zodiacal sign of Aries, also known as the Spring Equinox. As described above, Nowrooz represents much of what Iranian/Persian character, history, politics and religion are all about. For centuries, Persians have applied the Nowrooz spirit to every dark challenge that has come their way. This spirit has made Nowrooz far more than just a New year celebration!
Traditional ceremonies range from preparing a collection of 7 items that start with the sound of letter S in Persian, to annual gatherings and visiting the loved ones.
It is said that the 7 items starting with S used to be items starting with the sound "Sh". And one of them was wine (Sharaab) which starts with the sound of "Sh" in Persian. However, after the Arabs' invasion, since wine is forbidden in Islam, it all changed to the closest letter which is "S". Iranian Zarathushtis have kept both "S" and "Sh" items, which obviously includes wine and milk (Shir). The holy Avesta and the portrait of the Prophet Zarathushtra are the highlight of the display. Many Iranians also put a portrait of the late poet, Ferdowsi, to whom they owe their mother language and perhaps their identity. This is out of the deep love and affection that they feel for this great poet who brought back to life the sense of pride and glory of a lost nation in the midst of a dark era of national deterioration. Iranians of other religions will use their holy book, but the portrait of Ferdowsi is common, no matter what religion one has. In several neighboring countries of Iran, Noruz is a national ceremony and is celebrated for days. In Iran, it is celebrated for about 2 weeks, during which schools are closed and many businesses and government organizations are half-open. The end of Noruz is marked by another national and cultural event knowing as "Sizdeh Bedar" or outgoing on the 13th. This is a group celebration of the New Year in nature, or the Persian Festival of spring.
On New Year's day, Persians wear new clothes and presents of new clothes and money are given to children.
A display of symbolic items is made in people's homes, which was called 'haft shin' (seven 'Sh's); when the festival was taken over by Islam it was changed to 'haft sin' (seven S's). The seven S's displayed include seer (garlic), seeb (apple), serkeh (vinegar), samanu (a type of sweet made from wheat shoots), sombol (hyacinth), sekeh (a gold coin) somagh (sumac). The centre piece is sabsi, a plate of sprouting green herbs (cress, wheat or lentils can be used). Other items on the table include a Koran, a mirror, a goldfish in a bowl, coloured hard-boiled eggs and a candle.
The original Zoroastrian version included sharab (wine) shir (milk), shilooneh (jujube) shirini (sweets) sharbat (sherbet) and shaam (candles), sabsi and the Avesta (the holy book). The traditional food eaten for New Year is sabzi pollo (rice with herbs - literally, green rice) and mahi (fish) or morgh (fish).
Ash reshfte, a delicious thick, warming soup made with pulses and noodles is also often served. Reshte, (noodle) literally means threads and they are still commonly made at home rather than bought.
akening symbolizes the triumph of good, winning against the evil forces of darkness that are represented by the Winter. Nowrooz is the point when the oppressive presence of the cold Winter finally begins to retrieve with the commencement of the lively and hopeful Spring. This symbolic and poetic change corresponds to the mathematical instance of the sun leaving the zodiac of Pisces and entering the zodiacal sign of Aries, also known as the Spring Equinox. As described above, Nowrooz represents much of what Iranian/Persian character, history, politics and religion are all about. For centuries, Persians have applied the Nowrooz spirit to every dark challenge that has come their way. This spirit has made Nowrooz far more than just a New year celebration!
It is said that the 7 items starting with S used to be items starting with the sound "Sh". And one of them was wine (Sharaab) which starts with the sound of "Sh" in Persian. However, after the Arabs' invasion, since wine is forbidden in Islam, it all changed to the closest letter which is "S". Iranian Zarathushtis have kept both "S" and "Sh" items, which obviously includes wine and milk (Shir). The holy Avesta and the portrait of the Prophet Zarathushtra are the highlight of the display. Many Iranians also put a portrait of the late poet, Ferdowsi, to whom they owe their mother language and perhaps their identity. This is out of the deep love and affection that they feel for this great poet who brought back to life the sense of pride and glory of a lost nation in the midst of a dark era of national deterioration. Iranians of other religions will use their holy book, but the portrait of Ferdowsi is common, no matter what religion one has. In several neighboring countries of Iran, Noruz is a national ceremony and is celebrated for days. In Iran, it is celebrated for about 2 weeks, during which schools are closed and many businesses and government organizations are half-open. The end of Noruz is marked by another national and cultural event knowing as "Sizdeh Bedar" or outgoing on the 13th. This is a group celebration of the New Year in nature, or the Persian Festival of spring.
On New Year's day, Persians wear new clothes and presents of new clothes and money are given to children.
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