Norouz

Norouz (also transcribed Noah-Rooz , Norooz , Noruz , Novruz , Noh Ruz , Nauroz , VOR-roze , Navroz , Náw-Rúz or Novrouz and in Persan نوروز ) is the Iranian traditional festival celebrating the new year of the Iranian Calendrier (first day of spring). The festival is celebrated by certain communities the March 21st, and by others the day of the vernal equinox, which takes place the 20,21 or March 22nd.

The word comes from the Avestique nava =nouveau + rəzaŋh =jour/lumière of the day meaning " new day/lumière" and which always has the same direction in Persan (( No =nouveau + rouz =jour meaning " new jour")

Variations commonly met

Norouz has been celebrated for at least 3000 years and is deeply enraciné among the ritual ones and the traditions of the Zoroastrisme. Today, the festival of Norouz is celebrated in many countries which were territories or which were influenced by the Persian Empire: apart from the Iran, one can quote the Iraq, the Afghanistan, parts of the Middle East as well as in the Soviet ex-republics of the Tadjikistan, of the Ouzbékistan, the Azerbaïdjan, the Kazakhstan, and the Kyrgyzstan. The festival is also celebrated by the Parsis zoroastriens in India and Turkey, where it is called Turkish Nevruz in and Kurdish Newroz in .

In the majority of the countries, one accompanies the festival by a Norouz Mubarak ( mubarak : congratulations). In Turkey, one says Biramuz Mubarak (in Turkish) or Cejna we pîroz Be (in Kurdish).

The following of the alternative Fasli of the calendar Zoroastrien celebrates also Norouz like the first day of the new year. Other alternatives of the Zoroastrien calendar celebrate Norouz twice, once as a Jamshedi Navroz on March 21st as a beginning of spring, and second Norooz takes place, in July /aout (see Calendrier zoroastrien), as a New Year's Day or new year day before. The fact that this second Norouz is celebrated as a last day of the year (as opposed to what one could think of a term which means " new jour") could be due to the fact that in Persia antique the day started with laying down sun, whereas later on, Persians thought that the day started with the rising of the sun.

The faith bahá' íe, a religion which finds its origins in Iran, celebrates also this day (its name is then " Naw Rúz") as a religious holiday marking not only the New Year's Day according to the calendar Bahá' í, but also the end of their 19 days fast. Bahá' ís Persan always follow the Iranian habits associated with Norouz, but Bahá' ís of the whole world celebrate this day, while following their local habits more or less. Whereas Naw Rúz, according to their writings, falls the day from the vernal equinox, Bahá' ís celebrate it on March 21st, without worrying about the precise day where fall the vernal equinox. Bahá' ís must this day suspend their work like any school work there.

In the republics ex-Soviet of Central Asia, Norouz, the 21 or March 22nd, is commonly regarded as the " new year of the musulmans" (to hear ethnos groups of Islamic religion) and gives place to festivities as well religious as profane.

Whereas the Persan calendar is very precise concerning the astronomical moment to which the New Year's Day starts, the 24 hours period during which the astronomic year starts is regarded as Norouz.

History

The Norouz term appeared for the first time in the documents of the Persian Empire at the second century before our era, but there are reasons to believe that the celebration is much older and that it was already probably an important day during the dynasty Achéménide (towards 648 av. J-C - 330 av. J-C). It was suggested that in the famous complex palatial of Persépolis, or that at least the palate of the Apadana and " Palate with the hundred colonnes" had been built in order to be used especially during the celebrations of Norouz. However, no mention of the Norouz term exists in the Achéménides inscriptions.

The oldest mentions of Norouz go up at the time Parthian/Arsacide (247 av. J-C - 224 a. J-C). There are references specific to the celebration of Norouz during the reign of Vologèse I {{er}} (51 - 78 av. J-C), but the details are not quoted.

Substantial details on the celebration of Norouz appear after the accession with the throne of Ardachîr Ier, founder of the dynasty Sassanide (224 - 650 of our era). Under kings Sassanides, Norouz was celebrated like the most important day of the year. The majority of the royal traditions of Norouz as the royal audiences in public, the gifts and the forgiveness of the prisoners were established during the Sassanide time and remained such as they are until the modern time.

Norouz, just as Sadeh (which is celebrated in the middle of the winter), survived in the company after the introduction of the Islam in 650 apr. J-C. Other celebrations like Gahanbar and Mehragan were put on side or only continued to be followed by the Zoroastrien S, which took them along until in India. Norouz, however, was a very celebrated festival, even by those which adopted Islam very early. There remain indications that the four large caliphs governed the celebrations of Norouz, and that the day was non-working for the period Abbasside.

After the fall of the caliphate and the D-emergence of Persian dynasties like the Samanides and the Bouyides, Norouz was high on a level even more important. Bouyides revived the old traditions of the time Sassanide and restored other celebrations of less importance which had been eliminated by the Califat. Even the Othoman invaders and Mongolian S did not try to abolish Norouz with the profit of an other celebration. Norouz thus remained the principal festival of Persan at the same time at the official and popular level. The last remarkable illustration of the stability of this festival (of pagan origin however) is following the advent of the Islamic Republic. The new mode of religious obedience saw of an evil eye a so imposing and so popular celebration for a nonreligious festival. No effort is made to celebrate this day officially and a systematic parallel is made with martyrdoms of the revolution and the war. After two decades, the popular will gave reason to the History. Norouz is again celebrated in Iran even more sumptuously than in the past and of large Haftsin made their appearance these last years on the initiative of the town hall of Teheran in the great places of the city!

Norouz in modern Iran

In Iran, the preparations of Norouz start during Esfand , the last winter month in the Persan Calendrier. The Iranians, the Afghans and other groups start to prepare by making large a " cleaning of printemps" in their houses, new clothing for the New Year's Day is bought and buys flowers (the true hyacinth and the Tulipe are particularly popular).

In partnership with the rebirth of nature, the spring-cleaning is the national tradition followed by the majority of the households to Iran. That is also extended to the personal effects, and traditionally, everyone buys at least a guard wraps new. The day of the new year, the families get dressed with their new clothing and then begin the rejoicings of this period, while going to return visit to old, then with the remainder of the family and finally with the friends. The 13th day, the families leave their house and spade-will screw outside.

During the holidays of Norouz, one awaits from all that they go visit (mainly limited to the family, the friends and the neighbors) in the form of short visits to the house, which are generally followed of reciprocity. Typically, the first day of the year, the family members find themselves with table, on which the Haft Sîn are posed (or laid out in the vicinity) and wait the exact moment of the New Year's Day. At this time there, of the gifts are exchanged. Later in the course of the day, the young people return visit to oldest. The visits must be enough short to make it possible to see all people to whom one envisaged to return visit. These visits generally last half an hour, during which one generally meets of the family and the friends who are them also making the round of the family. For of these visits, it is necessary to be ensured to have enough Pâtisserie S, Gâteau X, Fruit S fresh and dry under the hand, since the latter are generally distributed to the visitors at the same time as the or a syrup. Many Iranian organize this day of great festivals gathering everyone to be able to bring together the guests who come by far.

Chāhār Shanbe Sûri

The Haft Sîn

The principal tradition of Norouz is the installation of the Haft Sîn (هفتسین) them seven “, seven objects whose name starts with the letter S or " sîn" (س) of the alphabet Persan, which is seven specific objects laid out on a table corresponding to seven creations and the seven immortal ones protecting them. Today, they were modified a little but symbolism remains. Each family tries to keep their table of the possible Haft Sîn prettiest, since the spiritual direction is as important as the way in which they are laid out since the visitors see this provision like a reflection of their tastes.

The following list is an example of the objects being used to make the Haft Sîn , although there is no consensus making it possible to say which is the seven concerned ones:

sabzeh - germs of Corn, Barley or lens pushing in a dish (symbolizing the rebirth)
samanu - a Gâteau very sweetened makes of corn germ (symbolizing abundance)
senjed - fruit dried of the Jujubier (symbolizing the love)
sîr - garlic (medicine)
sîb - Pomme S (beauty and good health)
somaq - bays of Sumac (the color of the rising of the sun and health)
serkeh - Vinegar (the age and patience)
sonbol - the odorous flower of hyacinth (the arrival of spring)
sekkeh - Part S (prosperity and health)

The other objects on the table can include the following:

Pastry making S
Candle S lit (happiness)
a Mirror
of the painted eggs, perhaps for each family member (fertility)
a bowl with two (or more) red fish (life)
a water bowl containing a orange (ground floating in space)
pink water of for its capacity magic cleaning
the national colors, for the key of patriotism
a crowned book (for example, the Coran, Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bible, the Torah or the Avesta) or a book of poetry (almost always the Shâh Nâmâ or the couch of Hafez)

Firûz hadji

The traditional carrier of the colors of Norouz is a character called Haji Pirûz, or Hadji Firuz. It symbolizes the rebirth of the god of the sacrifice sumérien, Domuzi (Dumuzi, which gave its name to the Hebrew month of Tammuz), which was killed at the end of each year and reappeared for the news beginning of the year. Carrying black make-up and a red costume, Haji Firûz sings and dances in the streets with tambourine and Trompette S by distributing its good wishes for the arrival of the New Year's Day.

Traditional meal

Sabzi Sports shirt Mahi : The traditional meal of the New Year's Day is called Sabzi Polo Mahi, which is Riz cooked with sweet herbs and been useful with Poisson. The traditional sweet herbs are the Persil, the Coriandre, of the Aneth, the chive and the Fenugrec.
Reshteh Sports shirt : Rice cooked with kinds of Noodles which one says that it symbolically helps to succeed in the life.

Sizdah Bedar

The thirteenth day of the festivals of the new year is Sizdah Bedar (literally meaning " thirteenth dehors"), which is one day festive celebrated with the free air, often accompanied by music and dance. This day passed spade-to screw in family.

The celebrations of the thirteenth day, Sîzdah Bedar , come from the belief of old Persians that the 12 constellations of the Zodiaque controlled the months of the year, and that each one reigned on the ground for a thousand of year. At the end of this cycle, the sky and the ground sank in chaos. Consequently, Norouz, lasts 12 days and the thirteenth one represents chaos, moment during which the families put the order on side and avoid the bad luck associated with the number thirteen while going outside and while benefitting from a picnic and a festival.

At the end of the celebrations of this day, the sabzeh cultivated for the Haft Sîn (which symbolically collected all the disease and the bad luck) is thrown in running water to exorcize the demon S ( divs ) of the household. It is also of habit for the unmarried young women to attach the stems of the sabzeh before throwing them, thus expressing the wish to be married before the Sîzdah Bedar of the following year.

External bonds

the festival of Noah-Rooz
Who is what Norouz?
Foundation for research on Norouz
Norouz - celebration of the vernal equinox

Simple: Navruz

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