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Iranian history
is composed of two periods, the period of Zarathushti
Iran and the period of Islamic Iran which began in
seventh century, after the Arab invasion and the
downfall of the Sassanian empire. Many Iranian
festivities such as Norooz festival have been inherited
from the Zarathushti era and embody the optimistic
philosophy of the Zarathushti religion, in particular
the idea that God or Ahura Mazda (The Lord of Life and
Wisdom) has endowed human beings with a life that can be
lived with joy and happiness. The idea is that if human
beings lead a life that is guided by wisdom,
truthfulness, compassion and creativity, they can obtain
a state of peace and happiness. Various times in the
year provide human beings with an opportunity to
celebrate their achievements.
To fully appreciate Norooz, it is important to examine
it in its context, along with some of the other
festivities of ancient Iran. The Zarathushti calendar
consisted of 12 months which had one day that
corresponded with the name of that month. This day was a
day of celebration, for the individual and the
community. An agrarian society, the ancient Iran also
had six religious festivals that corresponded with
agricultural events. These agricultural celebrations
provided the community with an opportunity to come
together and celebrate the bounty of its labor.
Finally, ancient Zarathushti Iran was also marked by
five national festivities which have survived through
the centuries to the present day. These festivities are:
Norooz, Tirgan, Mehrgan, Yalda and sadeh. Of these
Norooz is the most popular. It coincides with the first
day of the Iranian calendar and marks the beginning of
the Iranian new year. Like the other four national
festivities, Norooz can be defined by three
characteristics: (1) it has an astronomical basis; (2)
it has a historical and mythical basis and (3) it
reflects an optimistic socio-religious philosophy.
The achievement of ancient Iranians in the area of
astronomy is impressive, in that the various
celebrations coincide with the equinox or solstice. The
equinox is either of two times during the year when the
sun crosses the equator and the day and night are equal
length. These days occurs around March 21sr and
September 23rd. Norooz corresponds with March 21st, (Farvardin
1st to 12th), the vernal equinox and Mehrgan corresponds
with September 23rd, (Mehr 3rd to 10th), the autumnal
equinox.
Ancient Zoroastrians also celebrated the solstice, which
is either of two times during the year when the sun is
farthest from the equator, about June 21st (the summer
solstice) when it is farthest south. Tirgan corresponds
with the summer solstice and celebrates the longest day
of the year; Yalda corresponds with the winter solstice
and celebrates the longest night of the year. Finally
the Sadeh festivity which occurs hundred days after the
winter in Ancient calendar (fifty days before the Norooz,
the beginning of summer in Ancient Calendar) and
celebrated the end of cold weather, heralding the
arrival of spring ("Cheleh Koochak"). The
scientific or astronomical basis for these festivities
is a testimony to our ancestors knowledge of astronomy.
The festivals, interestingly, have a historical or
mythical aspect to them that reveals the culture or
national consciousness of our ancestors. Again, the
philosophy is rooted in a religious ideology which is
optimistic: the festivities celebrate the triumph of
good over evil, lightness over darkness and justice over
despotism. According to Iranian mythology, Jamshid Shah
coined Norooz as a "new day" after he
eliminated ignorance, disease, poverty and injustice;
Norooz celebrates his achievements; the promotion of
happiness, progress and plentitude. Mehrgan, the autumn
equinox, is the day when an ironsmith, known as Kaveh
Ahangar, overthrew an unjust despotic king by the name
of Azhidahak (also known as "Zahak") who had
ordered the death of all five of Kaveh Ahangar's sons.
Mehrgan also coincides with the overthrow of another
despotic usurper of power, Gaumata, by the great king of
the Achamenian Dynasty, Darius the Great.
Tirgan, the summer solstice celebrated the life of Arash
Kamangir, an Iranian national hero who sacrificed his
life to preserve the territorial integrity of Iran.
Yalda, the winter solstice, celebrates the triumph of
light over darkness, right over wrong, good over evil
and the birth of the "Sun-God", Mithra.
Finally Sadeh commemorated the discovery of fire which
is not only a source of energy but one of the elements
such as the air, the water and the earth that
Zoroastrians must preserve and not pollute.
Lastly, the socio-religious aspects of these five
national celebrations are aimed at strengthening social
bonds by bringing together the community, promoting
charity and ensuring that the more needy members of the
community are not forgotten. It is important to keep
these values in mind as examine the Norooz ritual.
There are several customs that are performed at the
Norooz festival. The most impressive one is the setting
of the traditional "Sofreh Haft Seen", the
Haft Seen" table, on which seven items beginning
with the Persian letter "Seen" (similar to the
letter "S" in English) are placed. The word
"haft" in Persian means seven and thus
"haft seen" literally translates to seven
"seen"s. Many cultures and religions consider
the number seven cardinal characteristics of God or
Ahura Mazda. Zarathushtis refer to these seven qualities
as "Amsha Spenta."
The various items that are placed on the table affect
our senses, creating a beautiful table which reflects
the various colors, scents and flavors of spring and
some say, life. The usual seven items set on the table
are "sabzi" (literally, greenery -usually the
sprouts of wheat and lentil", "sonbol"
(the hyacinth flower), "senjed" (a dried
fruit), "seer" (garlic), "serkeh"
(vinegar), samanu (a Persian dish) and "sekeh"
(a coin). The flowers, the green vegetation and their
fruits and spices celebrate the coming of spring while
the coin is seen as a celebration of year's success and
prosperity. The Holy Scriptures is placed on the table
in praise of the Creator. The mirror that is placed on
the table reflects a Zarathushti belief that whatever we
receive in life is a reflection of our thoughts, our
words and our deeds. Candles represent the light of
truth, a bowl of water with a gold fish celebrates life
and the living things on earth, and sweets celebrate the
coming of a happy new year as well as the
"sweetness" and pleasure in life. The
pomegranates and eggs that are placed on the table
represent fertility and rice represents plentitude. The
final items on the table, rose water. Zarathushtis
welcome their guests by pouring drops of rosewater on
their hands and wishing them happiness in the coming
year.
Another tradition of the Norooz celebration is
"spring cleaning" prior to the concurrence of
the spring equinox, houses (including all the linen and
furniture) are thoroughly cleaned or washed, and if need
be, the houses repaired and painted. Wheat and lentil
are planted and as mentioned above, their sprouts are
placed on the table to represent the bounty of Spring.
According to tradition, the sprouts are kept for 13 days
after which friends and family gather for a day of
celebration outside the house, during which time they
throw the sprouts into running water.
For Iranians the Norooz celebration is also a time to
celebrate loved ones, both the living and the deceased.
According to Zarathushti tradition on the wake of Norooz,
the souls of the deceased would visit their descendants
and bless them. Five days prior to Norooz, various
ceremonies were held to remember the deceased.
celebrating life and living, family members (today,
primarily the children) are treated to new clothes and
start the new year with a feast. In a tradition that has
be3en passed on through generations, during the twelve
days that follow the equinox, friends and neighbors
visit one another, usually starting by paying their
respects to the elders of the family and community. The
visits are traditionally extemporaneous; Iranians hold
"open houses where guests are greeted with fruit,
sweets and tea. The Norooz celebration thus encourages
the people to come together and strengthen their
friendly ties.
The Norooz tradition did not go unchallenged through the
centuries. After the invasion of Iran in the seventh
century, Moslem fanatics such as the Islamic
philosopher, Mohammad Ghazalli argued that the ancient
Iranian culture, including traditions such as Norooz had
to be abandoned. Fortunately, this view was not shared
by the populace and great poets such as Ferdowssi,
Nasser Khosrow, Onsori, Nezami, Manuchehri, Khaghani,
Farrokhi, Sa'adi, Hafez and Khaju, who stood for
preservation of the beautiful and meaningful festivities
of ancient Iran, most notably the Norooz. It is
interesting to note that Shi'ite philosophers and sages
even attributed Islamic characteristics to the Norooz
celebration in n their efforts to preserve it. Some
argued that the Moslem prophet, Mohammad appointed Imam
Ali as his successor on the day that is now celebrated
as Norooz. Imam, Sadeq, the sixth Imam in the Shi'ite
tradition, argued that God created Adam on Norooz and
that the twelfth Imam, Mehdi or the Messiah will return
on Norooz. In the 8th century, caliphs of the Abassid
dynasty beginning with Ma'mun began celebrating Norooz
with splendor. Ghaznavi kings such as Sultan Mahmood and
Masood are also known for their magnificent celebrations
of the Norooz festival. Norooz, however, did not become
a national celebration until Malekshah Saljuqi.
Presently, Norooz is a beautiful national celebration
that reflects the rich cultural heritage of Iran. It not
only embodies a colorful historical/mythical basis but
demonstrates the ancient Iranians' impressive understand
of science and astronomy. Norooz is an optimistic
celebration of life in all its glory. It is a
celebration of universal and timeless values and
ideals---truth, compassion, wisdom, justice and peace.
It is a celebration of the first day of Spring and as
such the renewal of life and the world. As flowers
blossom and the world awakens to the beauty of Spring,
so we, Iranians celebrate the glorious gift of life and
new beginnings. |
