Happy Nowruz 21 March 2023 - History Images Celebration Quotes & Messages

All About the Persian New Year

Nowruz is an ancient festival celebrated by Persian. It is observed as Persian New Year festival. It is believed that till now it has now been celebrated more than five thousand times by Iranians along with some other related ethnolinguistic groups across the world.

Like many other festivals, this festival is also an extravagant one that aims to bring peace and harmony. Historicity is one of the important aspects that makes it a distinctive tradition.

When is Nowruz in 2023?

 No-Rooz word, means "New Day" of the year . Nowruz indexes the starting of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and is a day of the vernal equinox in the Persian calendar. In the Gregorian calendar, it falls on either the previous or the following day of 21st March every year. After crossing of celestial equator by the sun, the next year is considered. People with their family perform some rituals on this day. In 2023 Nowruz will be celebrated on 21st March 2023.

Glimpse of past

The celebrations of this festival by Proto-Indo-Iranians is uncertain. There are assumptions that Iranians celebrated the starting of both autumn and spring. This was related to the harvesting and the sowing of seeds in the New Year celebrations. Also, it can be possible that the beauty of the Babylonian festivities at this season inspired Iranians to develop and celebrate their indigenous spring festival. This festival may have later turned to be celebrated as New Year festival.

The oldest records of this festival belong to the Arsacid/ Parthian times that was from 227BC to 224AD. The reign of Arsacid Emperor Vologases 1 has some particular references of the celebration of this festival. After the accession of Sasanian Dynasty, there are constant records for the celebration of Nowruz. It was one of the leading rituals of that time. Customs such as cash gifts, common audiences, and pardon of prisoners, were developed during that age. These traditions are still prevailing and are unchanged since then. Interestingly, Nowruz and Sadeh are the two pre-Islamic Persians festivals that continued in the Iranian-Islamic society. It is now only followed by the Zoroastrians and some other ethnic groups.  

Story behind Nowruz festival

Actually, this festival has been an early spring celebration. The sun starts to recover the power and overthrow winter’s cold and dimness. In nature, everything starts renewing and growing.  Nowruz appeared as people of these areas of the world left the roaming life and established settlements that started a new stage in human development. 

The Zoroastrian were noticeably animists. They believed reasoning spirit in everything, physical or virtual. Hence, for Zoroastrian, the return of Spring is a kind of annual victory for the spirt of the sun against winter. This symbolizes a glorious victory to come. It also represents a struggle between good and evil, in which the good win at the last.

The Persian Santa Claus or Haji Firouz

Referred to as Persian Santa Claus of this holiday, Haji Firouz is the Zoroastrian fire keeper. He represents the rebirth of the Sumerian god of sacrifice known as Dumuzi. At the end of every year, this god is killed and he is reborn at the starting of the New Year. For representing stain from fire, his hands and face are painted with black color. Like Santa Claus, he also has a dress code which is a red cloak and a red felt hat. His job is to sing traditional songs and distribute gifts to people and children celebrating this festival. He also plays a musical instrument known as the tambourine.

Dishes cooked during Nowruz

In Nowruz, people visit their friends and relatives. The hosts serve them a special traditional meal called “sabzi-polo-Mahi”, includes salmon and spinach rice, Kookoo Sabzi – it is an herbed omelet, Reshteh Polo- lumps of lamb with rice and noodles and Dolmeh Barg - grape leaves full with a combination of rice and crushed lamb. People greet each other by kissing on cheeks and by saying “No Rooz Mobarak”.

Nowruz celebrations and Images 

People begin the preparation of this festival by celebrating cleaning their homes. They want to get rid of germs and dirt of the previous year. Usually, on the beginning day of Nowruz, people gather with their family around a table with Haft Seen on the table. People exchange gifts during that time. Then, people visit the house of the eldest relatives later on that day. While the elders return visits the younger relatives later. To visit maximum relatives, the visits are used to be of short durations. Generally, it lasts for approx. 30 minutes. People offer guests cookies, pastries, fresh and dried fruits. Additionally, they also serve tea or different other syrup. People in advance inform their free days for hosting guests.

Besides, many Iranians throw big Nowruz parties in a prime location. This is a course of organising get-togethers with all relatives and friends. Devotees believe that celebrating Nowruz will bless the entire next year and make it happier for them. In one custom, people keep something sweet such as candy or honey outside for the full night. It is believed that the person who brings that sweet thing on the next morning, into the home will enjoy a good new year.

A unique tradition is carried out by the Iranians on the last Wednesday of the year known as Chaharshanbe Suri. In this tradition, people gather in the streets and outdoors. They make bonfires and jumps over them. They also sing traditional songs while jumping over the bonfire. This tradition is believed to kill all the fear in the person.