Nowruz 1392

Today we celebrate Persian Fire-Jumping Festival, known as

"Chahrshanbeh Souri" meaning Wednesday Feast.

Also called the Festival of Fire, it is a prelude to Nowruz, which

marks the arrival of spring. Bonfires are lit to keep the sun alive until
early morning. The celebration usually starts in the evening, with people
making bonfires in the streets and jumping over them singing

"zardiye man az to, sorkhiye to az man", literally meaning "my

sicky yellow paleness is yours, your fiery red colour is mine".

This is a purification rite, this means you want the fire to take your
paleness, sickness and problems and in return give you redness, warmth
and energy.

 

 

So, tomorrow is a special day for me, as we celebrate Persian New Year,

also known as Nowruz, meaning the "The New Day".

 

Nowruz is celebrated by Iranian people and also other related countries.

Nowruz marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the year
in the Iranian calendar. It is celebrated on the day of the
astronomical Northward equinox, which usually occurs on March 21
or the previous/following day depending on where it is observed.
As well as being a Zoroastrian holiday and having significance amongst
the Zoroastrian ancestors of modern Iranians, it is also celebrated in parts
of the South Asian sub-continent as the new year. The moment the
Sun crosses the celestial equator and equalizes night and day is
calculated exactly every year and Iranian families gather together to
obeserve the rituals.

 

Nowruz is the most important holiday in Iran. The traditional herald
of the Nowruz is a man called "Haji Firoz", he symbolizes the rebirth
of the Sumerian God of sacrifice, Domuzi, who was killed at the end of
each year and reborn at the beginning of the New Year.

His face is painted black (black is an ancient Persian symbol of
good luck) and wears a red costume. Then he sings and dances
through the streets with tambourines and trumpets spreading good cheer
and heralds the coming of the New Year.

 

Haft Sin or "the seven S's" is a major traditional table setting
of Nowruz, the traditional Iranian spring celebration.
The Haft Sin table includes seven items starting with the letter "S".

 

The Haft Sin items are:

Sabzeh (wheat, barley or lentil sprouts growing in a dish) - symbolizing rebirth

Samanu (a sweet pudding made from wheat germ) - symbolizing affluence

Senjed (the dried fruit of the oleaster tree) - symbolizing love

Sir (garlic) - symbolizing medicine

Sib (apples) - symbolizing beauty and health

Somaq (sumac berries) - symbolizing the colour of sunrise

Serkeh (vinegar) - symbolizing age and patience

 

 

 

So at 11:03 tomorrow (London time) the New Year will start!

(picture borrowed from Radio Javan)

 

As my relatives are in Iran and my family in Sweden on this special day

I send them this special message today:

Khanevade va doostan aziz pisha pish sale jadid, 1392, ra beheton tabrik migam, omidvaram dar saleh no sali porbarakat va hamrah ba moaffagiyat ra dar pish dashteh bashid va khoshbakhti ra be taktaketon arezoo mikonam.
 

Omidvaram dar sale jadid be hameye arezoohatoon beresin!

Norozeton pirooz - Har roozeton Norooz

♥