Nowruz, means in Farsi is “New Day”, is the Iranian Nowruz Persian New Year event. Usually occurring on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox, typically between March 19 and 22, it marks the first day of spring. Based on the older Zoroastrian faith, which existed before both Islam and Christianity, the holiday has been observed for about 3,000 years. Nowruz marks both the rebirth of life as winter ends and spring starts, as well as the triumph of good over evil.
Why Celebrate Nowruz?
Why should we honour Nowruz?
Nowruz is a chance for introspection and regeneration, as well as a cultural or religious celebration. It marks a time to embrace hope, development, and rebirth, therefore transcending the challenges of the past year and starting over. Spring’s coming is considered an opportunity for renewal and a means of reestablishing relationships with family, friends, and neighbours. It is a celebration of life and a means of forward looking for a bright future. Nowruz also emphasizes the value of the seasons and the surroundings, therefore motivating people to treasure the riches of the planet and live in peace with it.
How is Nowruz Celebrated all over the world?
While celebrations of Nowruz vary depending on the nation, many follow some shared customs:
Haft-Seen Table:
A key tradition is setting up a Haft-Seen table, a special table arrangement that includes seven items, each starting with the Persian letter “S.” (The letter “s” in the Persian code is denoted by the soft “s” sound-letter “sin” (س), similar to the “s” at the end of “glass.”)These items represent various elements of life, such as health, wealth, and growth.
Fire Jumping:
One of the most often followed customs is hopping over the fire. This is thought to represent purification—that is, the process by which people try to free themselves from any negative or unlucky past year impact.
Visiting Family and Friends:
Nowruz is a time for families to get together, have meals, and exchange gifts. People often see friends and relatives to wish each other well for the new year.
Special Foods:
Traditional meals, each having symbolic value, are cooked for the event. For instance, “sabzi polo”—herbed rice with fish—is sometimes used as a sign of a lot and success.
Cleaning the House:
Traditionally, people “spring clean”—that is, tidy their houses—in readiness for the new year. This represents a fresh start and is said to invite good energy into the dwelling.
Where is Nowruz Celebrated Around the World?
Iran
Nowruz is a two-week national holiday observed in Iran. Celebrated as “pagan,” it is generally accepted despite past attempts by ultra-conservative groups to forbid it. Nowadays, the government actively supports the festival; political officials frequently speak on it. Many Iranians, nevertheless, feel it has become overly politically charged.
Iraq
Officially celebrated in Iraq, Nowruz is especially important to the Kurdish minority. Although the Arab majority does not celebrate it generally, some Iraqi Shia Muslims do so.
Turkey
Nowruz is mostly celebrated in Turkey by Alevi Muslims and Kurds. For these people, it has cultural and spiritual meaning and signals the beginning of spring.
Syria
Nowruz is very important to Syrian Kurds as well as to the Ismaili Shia Muslim minority in Syria, particularly the Nizari Ismailis with Iranian traditions.
Lebanon
Nowruz is mostly observed in Lebanon by Beirut’s Kurdish community. Among Lebanese Shia, the celebration has political overtones, particularly for those with strong cultural or political ties to Iran, such as supporters of the Islamic State of Lebanon.
Pakistan and India
Nowruz is observed by the Parsi population in Pakistan, ancestors of Zoroastrians who left Iran. In India, the Parsi community also celebrates the holiday in line with their traditional background.
Central Asia and the Caucasus
Nowruz is an official holiday in many Central Asian countries, including Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Georgia. These regions have strong historical ties to ancient Persian culture.
Afghanistan
While many people in Afghanistan celebrate Nowruz, the Taliban has outlawed public festivities of the holiday, therefore restricting its exposure.
China
Despite official attempts to stifle it, the Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang celebrate Nowruz in China. The festival is also observed in Mongolia’s Bayan-Ölgii province, home of the Kazakh people.
Europe and the United States
Nowruz is a public holiday observed in Albania and the Kosovo region in Europe. California sees large Nowruz celebrations throughout the United States, particularly in places with large Iranian populations.
Nowruz in Pakistan
Pakistan, in collaboration with twelve other countries, celebrated culturally significant festival of Nowruz at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France. Various Pakistani communities, especially those of Parsi, Hazara, and Shia Muslims, observe Nowruz, the Persian New Year. The Iranian calendar regards this as a significant religious and cultural occasion marking the coming of spring and the start of the new year. Although Nowruz is not a nationwide public holiday in Pakistan, it is fully celebrated in some areas and communities where it has spiritual as well as cultural value.
Who Celebrates Nowruz in Pakistan?
Parsi Community:
TO serve Nowruz as a significant religious occasion, the Parsi people, the children of Zoroastrians who left Iran centuries ago. Especially in Karachi, the Parsis in Pakistan honour with customary ceremonies, prayers, and feasts. To greet the new year and pray for peace, wealth, and good health, they assemble with family and friends.
Shia Muslims:
For Shia Muslims in Pakistan, Nowruz also marks an interesting event. Although it is not a religious festival for all Shia Muslims, many of them pray, consider the past year, and visit holy shrines—especially those linked to the Ahl al-Bayt, the family of Prophet Muhammad. Nowruz celebrations feature religious meetings and group prayers in towns including Lahore and Quetta, where Shia populations are notable.
Hazara Community:
Nowruz is also observed by the Shia Muslim ethnic group known as the Hazara from Pakistan’s mountainous areas. It is observed in Quetta, home to a large Hazara population, with religious and cultural celebrations involving family get-togethers, feasts, and particular prayers.
How is Pakistan celebrating Nowruz?
Nowruz celebrations in Pakistan sometimes include religious and usual activities:
Setting Up the Haft-Seen Table:
Like in Iran, certain Pakistani communities set up the Haft-Seen Table, a configuration of seven symbolic objects, each beginning with the Persian letter ” S.” These objects reflect various aspects of life, including health, money, and success.
Family Gatherings and Feasts:
Nowruz marks a time for families to gather for feasts. People visit one another to exchange meals and extend New Year greetings; special dishes are made. Traditional meals, including fruit, rice dishes, and sweets, are commonly offered.
Visiting Religious Shrines:
Many Shia Muslims in Pakistan travel to shrines during Nowruz, particularly those honouring the Imams and other holy leaders of the faith. This is time for prayer, and year-ahead blessings search.
Cultural Celebrations:
Cultural Celebrations: Nowruz is observed in several areas of Pakistan under cultural events planning. These might call for dancing, music, and other customary events celebrating the start of spring.
Why does Pakistan notice Nowruz?
Nowruz is particularly significant in Pakistan for those with Persian and Zoroastrian backgrounds, both culturally and spiritually. This is a time for rebirth on the inside as much as the outside. Based on the Zoroastrian calendar, it represents the beginning of the new year for the Parsis; it’s a time to consider the previous year and make fresh plans. Emphasizing ideas of cleansing, good actions, and the win of light over darkness offers Shia Muslims a chance for spiritual self-analysis and reconstruction.
Nowruz is also observed in Pakistan as a celebration of the renewal of the natural world. Arriving in spring brings development, fresh starts, and hope. As people gather to celebrate the season’s delight, it promotes harmony among homes and businesses.
Shia Nowruz: A Special Celebration
Shia Nowruz: A Unique Event
Particularly in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, many Shia Muslims observe Nowruz. Although everyone follows the same essential customs of Nowruz—marking the entrance of spring and the Iranian New Year—Shia Muslims observe it with extra theological and spiritual relevance.
Nowruz is a season of rebirth for Shia people that spans both physical and spiritual existence. It is seen as an opportunity for introspection, spiritual development, and improving of one’s relationship with God. For Shia Muslims, the celebration holds particular significance since it fits their beliefs of rebirth, atonement, and historical analysis of the events of the prior year.
Wrapping Up
Nowruz is a festival that brings people together across borders, uniting various ethnic groups in celebration of the arrival of spring and the triumph of good. While the festival has deep cultural and historical significance, its celebrations continue to evolve, and millions around the world, including Pakistan, embrace it
