{"id":10577,"date":"2017-03-21T07:19:06","date_gmt":"2017-03-21T07:19:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/?p=10577"},"modified":"2026-03-24T11:31:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T11:31:14","slug":"celebrating-nowruz-spirit-of-new-beginnings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/celebrating-nowruz-spirit-of-new-beginnings\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating Nowruz: The Vibrant Festivity of New Beginnings"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Nowruz<\/a> is a joyous celebration of life and family. All Iranians observe it, regardless of their ethnic or religious backgrounds. It is perhaps the single most unifying marker of Iranian identity.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sources from the early centuries of Islam provide numerous accounts of how Iranian Muslims continued to celebrate their \u201cnational holiday\u201d<\/strong> alongside Zoroastrians<\/strong>, despite frequent opposition from the religious authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Entreaties by the authorities that Nowruz<\/a> should be \u201cconsidered a simple, ordinary day like any other day and ignored\u201d went manifestly unheeded by the population at large.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nowruz: An Ancient Ritual<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In contemporary Iran as well, Islamic rule has had to accommodate the Iranians\u2019 love of Nowruz, even certain aspects to which it objects. The Tuesday night before Nowruz, called Chahar-shanbe suri, is a time when Iranians set bonfires and jump over them, speaking to the fire: \u201cMay you take from me my yellow (that is, \u2018my fear\u2019); may I take from you your red (\u2018your courage and vitality\u2019)\u201d\u2014clearly an example of a very ancient ritual that has nothing whatsoever to do with Islam.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Haft
The traditional New Year\u2019s spread (sofre-ye haft sin<\/a>) features seven items that begin with the letter S: sabzeh (sprouts), samanu (pudding), sib (apple), serkeh (vinegar), sir (garlic), senjed (dried oleaster), and somaq (a fruity spice). The spread also typically includes other items such as a copy of the Qur\u2019an, a mirror, and live goldfish. The Iranian New Year, Noruz, is the most important festival of the year and is celebrated by peoples from the Balkans to Central Asia and India. Photo by Davood Rafiei – Flickr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Chaharshanbe Suri (The Nationwide Fire-jumping)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The nationwide fire-jumping lasts for hours and is often accompanied by firecrackers and other chaotic expressions of joy and anarchy. With eighty million people simultaneously involved, it is impossible for Iran\u2019s security forces to maintain any semblance of public order during this wild and crazy evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sofre-ye Haftsin<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Nowruz is seen as a time of renewal, and Iranians typically spend weeks cleaning their homes in preparation for it. They lay out a special spread called haft sin, \u201cseven [things beginning with the letter] S,\u201d which also includes a holy book (the Qur\u2019an, the Avesta<\/a>, or even the Odes of Hafez) and usually a bowl of water with live goldfish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is also a plate of sprouts, symbolizing new vegetable life, which are kept till the thirteenth day of Nowruz, called Sizdah b<\/strong><\/a>e<\/a><\/strong>-dar<\/strong><\/a> (Thirteenth Outside), when they are taken out and cast into a body of flowing water such as a river or stream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the day of Nowruz itself families sit together and count down excitedly to the moment of the equinox\u2014even if it occurs in the middle of the night\u2014and then rush into each others\u2019 arms with hugs and kisses to welcome in the new year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This event is followed by a two-week national holiday during which people visit each other\u2019s homes in turn, sharing tea, sweets, and conversation. It is a joyful time of year, but no business gets done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nowruz is perhaps the most visible sign of Iranian influence on neighboring peoples<\/strong>, being celebrated as a national holiday throughout Central Asia, the Caucasus, and as far west as the Balkans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For much of history the Iranian world encompassed lands from Mesopotamia<\/a> to the marches of India and China, even if the borders never remained fixed for very long. But if Iran is above all an affinity\u2014an affective notion, rather than a political one\u2014then borders are perhaps not what matters most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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