Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

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Welcome to Fascinating Facts and Tantalizing Trivia

A Hartson Dowd Column

 March 21, 2007

MARCH 21^st brings us the spring equinox, the day when the hours of daylight and darkness are equal.

For Canadians of Middle Eastern extraction, it is the time to celebrate Now Ruz, or the New Year.  Nowruz [or norooz, pronounced NO-ROOZ] in Persian means "New-day".  The celebrations mark the start of spring and the beginning of a new year.  It is a time of great joy and family celebrations that are shared by people of all faiths in many countries that trace their history back through the centuries to the ancient Mesopotamian civilization and the Persian Empire. Nowruz always begins on the first day of spring, and it lasts for 13 days.

Several days before the festival begins, people participate in an important custom, fire jumping.  Bonfires are lit and participants leap over the fires to symbolize their hope of strengthening the sun so that the cold of winter will be conquered and warm spring weather will come again.

Another custom of the Now Ruz celebration is the breaking of an old clay jar.  The woman of the house breaks an old clay jar outside the door of the home to symbolize all of the quarrels of the previous year being thrown away.

The Now Ruz festival began more than 2,500 years ago, and was originally a Zoroastrian celebration called Jamshedi Navroz. Zoroastrians believed that King Jamashed is the same person that the Christians and Jews call Noah.  Jamshedi Navroz is the day that the animals were sent from the ark out into the world after the great flood, to begin anew.  This is probably why Jamshedi Navroz is so closely associated with the Now Ruz, celebrated in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts of the Middle East.

As well, the Baha’i New Year is also called the Feast of Now Ruz.  The feast marks the end of an eighteen-day fast and the celebrations are similar to those of the Zoroastrian faith.

Haji Firuz, a clown with his face pained black like a mummer, comes out to all community gatherings.  Here he sings, dances, and pokes fun at people like political leaders or business owners.  He gives out small gifts of food while collecting money from the crowds who gather to watch his antics.

The celebration of Now Ruz begins at the exact moment that the equinox occurs.  Some years this means getting up in the middle of the night.

As many family members as possible join together for the feast; the table is set with symbolic objects, all beginning with the sound “s” in the Persian language.  Sugar is for sweetness in the New Year, fruit for happiness, sprouted seeds for food and cultivation of the earth, coins for wealth, flowers to show the earth’s productivity, vinegar for preservation and spices to symbolize the spice of our life.

As well, a coloured egg is a symbol of life and the world.

An orange floating in water has particular significance, as it is believed that the orange will tremble at the exact moment that the New Year begins.

Family tables are also set with a candle for each family member and a mirror because it is considered good luck to see your own face and the faces of others.

After reading from a holy book, such as the Zoroastrian Avesta or the Islamic Koran, it is time to eat sweets and exchange gifts.

As with all New Year’s celebrations, it is time to resolve conflicts, share wonderful meals and enjoy the company of family and friends.

Lord Now Ruz has come.
Friends, spread this message -
The New Year has come again!
This spring be your good luck,
The tulip fields be your joy.
Haji Firuz Song

May the New Year bring peace to all...

The traditional menu for the Nowruz gathering on the day of the equinox usually includes fish and noodles. It is believed they bring good luck, fertility and prosperity in the year that lies ahead.

Noodle Soup - Ash-e reshteh, noodles representing the Gordian knots of life. Eating them symbolically helps toward unraveling life's knotty problems.

Rice with Fresh Herbs and Fish-Sabzi polow ba mahi, fresh herb rice representing rebirth, fish representing Anahita, one of the angels of water and fertility. Or rice with noodles, dates and raisins, or rice with barberries, candied orange peels and carrots.

Herb Kuku- Kuku-ye sabzi, the eggs and herbs represent fertility and rebirth.

Bread, Cheese, and Fresh Herbs - Nan-o panir-o sabzi khordan, representing prosperity.

Wheat Sprout pudding - Samanu, representing fertility and rebirth.

Sprout Cookies - Kolucheh-ye Javaneh-ye Gandom, representing prosperity and fertility.

Ice in Paradise - Yakh dar Behesht, representing nourishment for the children of the world.

Saffron Sherbet and Saffron Tea with Rock Candy - Sharbat-e Zaferan va Chai-e Zafaran ba nabat, representing sweetness and light.

Baklava, Chick-pea Cookies, and Sugar Coated Almonds - Baqlava, Nan-e Nokhodchi, Noghl, representing prospertiy.

Hartson S. Dowd

hsdowd@telus.net