Norooz, commemorating the New Year, has been celebrated in Iran, formerly Persia, throughout nearly three millennia of its recorded history. Norooz begins at the vernal equinox, the first day of spring season, a day of rejuvenation and reconciliation, and, reinvigorations and rebirth. Norooz"s arrival is symbolized in nature by the sprouting of greens and grains, flowers and trees. The Norooz holidays of today span from Charshanbeh Suri (jumping over the bonfire to absorb its reddish healthy strength, while getting rid of one"s yellow unhealthy state of being), on the evening preceding the last Wednesday of the old year, climaxing at Norooz, and concluding with Sizdeh Bedar, the thirteenth day of the New Year. Iranians spend the last day of the holidays at a picnic in the orchards, on the prairies, by the seaside, or in the foothills where they eat and drink, dance and sing, and play and joke. On that day, the single women knot grass together in the hope of marriage before the next Norooz! Integral to Norooz are the visits exchanged and paying tribute to the elders, as well as receiving monetary and other gifts from them.
Norooz has its own culinary dishes and pastries, sweets and desserts that are quite distinct from the rest of the year. Enjoying street performances is commonplace throughout Iran. The Persian Prefix "no-", as in NoRooz, is the equivalent of "new" and "now" in English since both languages are rooted in Indo-European origins. Iran has, by and large, remained quite diverse since antiquity. Norooz, which celebrates the divine creation of Zoroastrian Lord of Wisdom-Ahura Mazda who created the Universe, the Guardian Angels (Forouhars) and the holy fire-is the most cherished of all Iranian festivals. The ancient practice of observing the commencement of the spring season was not necessarily reserved to Iranians (Persians); many neighboring nations have and continue observing it. The indigenous tribes roaming the Persian Plateau during 6,000 years before the Persians arrived, along with the Babylonians of Mesopotamia, who had paid special attention to the role of the lengthening days warmed by Sun for their survival (Sol Invictus).
Today several hundred million people in the south, south central and southwest Asia observe Norooz, or a close variation of it. In fact, Zoroastrianism and, to a lesser extent, other Persian faiths such as Mithraism, Mazdakism and Manichaeism that were in part inspired by Buddhism, later influenced the shaping the three Semitic monotheistic religions. The early Christians celebrated the birth of Jesus in early spring, and epiphany commemorated the arrival of the three Wise Men, the Magi, who were said to be Zoroastrian priests. The New Year in the west, that began in early March and was observed in Europe and North America until the late 18th Century, was called the Common New Year. Today"s Christmas is due to Pope Emperor Constantine"s moving the birth of Jesus to mask the birth of Indo-Iranian deity Mithra to the winter solstice! Furthermore, the concurrent celebration of Purim , Passover and Easter by the Jews and Christians in tandem with Norooz cannot be construed as coincidental, but rather a common heritage.
[1]Norooz was celebrated in an early Persian mythological dynasty, the Kianis heralded by Jamshid (Shah Jam). The Kiani dynasty is cited with national pride and nostalgic reverence in Shahnameh, the 60,000 poetic verses of the Epic Book of [Persian] Kings, written by Ferdowsi (the Paradisi, the paradise) in the 11th century C.E. The oldest archaeological record of the Norooz celebration comes from the Achaemenid period of over 2,500 years ago, where pictorial illustrations and inscriptions on the grand inner Halls of Persepolis, the Apadana, depict King Darius receiving the ambassadors and emissaries presenting Norooz gifts from his vast empire. The Achaemenid Kings actually gave immunity to a commoner chosen to rule in the Palace for a day at Norooz for the king"s self-reflection. This practice later led to wise and dancing artisans in the street who are Haji Pirooz (the victorious pilgrim!), as well the royal tolerance of court jesters in both Iranian and European regal courts.
A major part of the New Year ritual is setting up a special table with seven specific items present, Haft Sin (Haft Chin, hinting at the seven picked crops before Islam, and the seven days of creation). In ancient times each of the items corresponded to one of the seven, sacred living creations and the seven holy immortals protecting them. Today some modifications are made, but a few of the original items have kept their symbolism. All seven items start with the letter "S"; this was not the requirement in ancient times. Zoroastrians today do not have the seven "S", but they do have a ritual of growing seven seeds. The ancient Iranians also grew seven seeds as a reminder that this is the seventh feast of the creation, and the new growth symbolized the festival"s other aspect, namely, a feast of resurrection and the eternal cycle of life.