Daffodils are a welcome sight this time of year, as bright signs of life emerge from months of dreary weather.
The new season also means it is the beginning of a new year and is called Nowruz – which means “new day” in Iranian 300 million people worldwide.
Persian New Year falls on the vernal equinox, which this year falls on Monday at 2:24 p.m. PT. As a time of rebirth and renewal, this date makes more sense than the arbitrary choice of early January by the West. But make no mistake: this is a far more engaging, rejuvenating, and healing celebration than simply sipping champagne and flipping through a calendar.
Just ask Mickey Mouse. His lovely explanations – including, but not limited to, a problematic dance demonstration -The world that shocked the Iranian diaspora last week.
Nowruz – this is Also spelled Norooz, Nowrooz or Norouz— is an ancient pagan holiday that, like the Women’s Lives Free movement sweeping Iran, transcends the country’s diverse ethnic, regional and religious makeup in one unified tradition.
Guess so About 3,000 years old And is rooted in Zoroastrianism, which predates Islam and Christianity. The Islamic Republic of Iran tries to downplay the secular celebrations, but the much-loved status of Nowruz has led it to become a national holiday anyway.
“It opened me up to a global heritage or awareness related to Mother Earth,” said Hafez Modirzadeh, a professor of music at San Francisco State University. “It connects us to the Indigenous part of ourselves. That’s why it’s so important today.”
BayArea4Iran organizer Yasaman Afshar believes connection to indigenous and pagan roots brings healing Needs the community to deal with increasingly disturbing updates They have left their home country since widespread protests erupted in September.maybe one day Another Execution of Protestersanother possibility is Group poisoning of female students They have clearly demonstrated their defiance of the regime.
“It’s hard to digest these things,” said Afshar, who was born in Iran. “There are a lot of people, this Nowruz, who are not going to sit with their families. We want to reflect. We want to remember them. We can’t just be angry. Nowruz is the perfect place to start this.”
this is the way to celebrate
Iranian Anticipate celebrations in many waysFirst, an elaborate spring cleaning process known as “khooné takoonee” begins a month before Nowruz. The goal is to clean the house of every bit of dirt and ward off the evil eye with some incense. After throwing out old or ill-fitting clothes, it’s common to buy a brand new outfit and debut it on day one.
A few days before the spring equinox, it’s time to plant sprouts from the lentil known as “sabze,” a key symbol of the Nowruz festival known as “haft seen.” This is a beautiful spread of the “seven” that brings health, wealth, love, patience and other positive elements into the new year, such as vinegar, dried olives, apples, wheat germ pudding, garlic and a spice called sumac – all in Begins with the letter “s” in Persian.
Surrounded by fragrant spring flowers such as daffodils or hyacinths, a goldfish bowl, a book of poetry or other sacred scriptures, a mirror, decorated eggs and Iranian sweets.
The Tuesday before Nowruz is ‘charshanbe soore’ which involves jumping over a fire to shake off the negativity of the past year. In a pinch, candle hops are also perfectly revived, but jumping over flames is where it reaches its full potential.
While doing so, chant “Zardeeyé man az tō, sorkheeyé to az man,” which usually means “My yellow (disgusting) is to you, and your red (life) is to me.”
Now the scene is set for Nowruz itself. Reunite with the family, count down together, and read a Persian poem. Younger children receive crisp dollar bills and visit elders and other family members at their parties.
But it doesn’t end there! Stay outdoors for 13 days and spend the last day picnicking in nature with friends and family, enjoying the great outdoors and dancing.
Celebrate with others at BayArea4Iran San Francisco there will be celebrations With its own haft seen and live music at Clarion Alley, there is currently a mural commemorating the current movement in Iran.
San Francisco City Hall will also hold a semi-visible display Friday, March 24 noon-3pmLondon Mayor Breed and Director Ahsha Safaí were born in Iran.
“It’s like spring, now it’s raining, things are happening, things are growing,” Afshar said. “We’re growing and we’re all going to blossom.”
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