By Mostafa Elyasian
This year, people in Iran, Kurdistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan will celebrate the beginning of spring and the start of the new year on March 20. This festival, which has a tradition of over 2500 years, lasts 13 days. People welcome spring and the beginning of the new year with very special traditions.
Fire as a symbol of love and light
One example is the big house cleaning. They dust the whole house, wash and clean everything. Some even buy new household items.
It is an old custom to light a fire on the evening of the last Wednesday before the new year. The fire is a symbol of joy, love, light and happiness. This evening is called Chaharshanbe Surie. People jump over seven small fires, singing: “Your red color is mine, my yellow color is yours.” The purpose of lighting the fires is to draw new strength to overcome one’s worries.
Hadshi Firuz, dressed in red, plays an important role in this. A few days before the start of the new year, he announces the coming of spring and the new year in all the alleys with song and dance. People are so happy about the good news that they shower him with money and gifts.
“the seven S’s”
Another central custom is Haft Sin, which means “the seven S’s”. You place seven things on a pedestal. All of them start with S: Senjet (a mealy berry, a symbol of energy), Sieb (an apple, a symbol of health and love), Sabseh (a green plant, a symbol of happiness and good humor), Sekeh (a gold coin, symbol of prosperity), Sir (garlic, symbol of thoughtfulness), Serkeh (vinegar, symbol of acceptance of problems), Somargh (spice, symbol of patience).
Gifts and community
It is especially important to cleanse yourself and put on new clothes for the New Year. This is because people believe that you should not start the New Year in old clothes.
Giving gifts is one of the most beautiful traditions. Parents and grandparents give their children and grandchildren gifts – usually in the form of money.
Visiting each other is another tradition. The younger ones visit the older ones. Families and friends also take the New Year as an opportunity to visit each other. When they meet, they say to each other “Eide schomah mobarak”. It means “blessed be the new year”. They wish each other health, happiness and good luck in the new year.
End of the festival in nature
The festival ends with Sisdah Be Dahr. This means the thirteenth day of the festival. The ancient Persians celebrated the new year with twelve days because the year has twelve months. On the 13th day of the Nowruz festival, which is a particularly beautiful day, families go to the steppes and floodplains where streams flow. They celebrate and sing and pray to God that the new year will be blessed with plenty of rain. On this day, they end the Nowruz festival.
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