For those of us who take note of the Iranian New Year, today is the first day of 1383. We’ve noted Noruz (’new day’, the name for New Year) throughout my life, celebrating with my mother’s family the key celebration in the calendar of her homeland. It’s something I’ve always enjoyed having, partly, I’ll admit, for the presents and sweets we receive from our parents, but also as a connection to a culture which isn’t very well known amongst those around me.
Our celebrations are very low key compared to those in Iran, where they tend to last for two weeks. We gather on a Saturday near to the date, usually at my aunt’s home. My grandfather will give us each some money and the food will fit in with customs, with various khoreshes, fish, chicken and a variety of rices. In one corner of the room will be the haft-seen display with the various symbols of Noruz, including a goldfish, usually bought for the occasion and then cared for through the year by one of my cousins who lives nearby.
This year I felt it was time I did a little digging into the traditions through sources other than family stories, and uncovered a lot more than I’d expected (including some Iranian websites which use some of my photos without permission). Of the many sites I discovered the best starting points are Pulse of the Planet who carry a short story which is a good introduction (if you download the MP3 and listen carefully to Mahnaz Afkhami you will learn the correct pronunciation); and farsinet who carry a good, slightly lengthier, overview too.
For those who want to get a bit more in depth, vohuman.org (a Zoroastrian education website) have a good survey of the Zoroastrian roots of the festival, including a very useful explanation of some of the engravings at Persepolis (such as those pictured in this entry) which, as I learned, depicted Noruz celebrations.
Iran has long been a country in tension. As successive regimes have come and gone the emphases between the traditions of Iran and the traditions of Islam have shifted, often to the detriment of the other. As a new appreciation of the pre-Islamic dynasties and the mythologies attached to the Zoroastrian Persian history develops, Islam is sidelined, and vice-versa. It would seem that one of the great strengths of Noruz and one of the keys to its endurance is that it appears to connect the country and its many tribes with their past without enforcing any particular religious practice. The roots are Zoroastrian, but the practice is open.
As someone who has only once visited the country but has felt its influence all my life, the celebration is one of the few opportunities to keep in touch with the customs of that country, even though our expatriot practices are considerably changed from those of people living in Iran. It’s something I know I want to preserve.