Nowruz (New Year)


The word Nowruz consists of two separate words, Now meaning new and ruz meaning day. The Nowruz literally means the New Day. It refers to the festival that celebrates the advent of the new season of spring or the new year. It has been celebrated in Khorasan since ancient times. Although, deeply rooted in pre-Zoroastrian traditions of Aryans, the Nowruz celebration is commonly believed to be attached to Zoroastrian faith.

According to archaeological facts, the territory to the south of Oxus River was dwelled by large group of people for at least five thousand years. These people are known to be the first settlers who formed communities and established the world's oldest city, the city of Balkh. They lived in fortified walled city with booming social life, customs and traditions. Their primary occupation was agriculture and raising cattle. This specific region has a very distinct four seasons. Spring, summer, fall and winter. The spring, after a harsh three months of winter, was a welcome sign and a period of becoming active in agriculture and other aspect of life. Therefore, our forefathers were celebrating the advent of Spring as a symbol of rebirth and relieve from harshness of winter.

 

The coming of Zoroaster added new dimensions to this already old tradition. According to religious sources, Zoroaster was born in spring when snow thawed, rains came, waters flowed, trees blossomed and plants grew. So the ancient Nowruz tradition also coincides with the birth of our great prophet. Zardusht or Zoroaster was a Tajik and the son of the same people who have been celebrating the new year for a long time. Zoroaster was born within the confined city of Balkh. His teaching, many historians believe, had direct or indirect influences on the development of three other religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Zoroaster was the founder of this great monotheistic religion of the ancient world that became famous after his name Zardushti or Zoroastrian.

 

In Zoroastrian everything that produced life, protected and enriched was regarded as good. Every natural phenomenon that was beneficial to humans such as sun, earth, water, sky, animals, plants were all good. So they would celebrate the coming of spring in such spirit of celebration and joy. The Spring has always been regarded as a time of change and renewal, a time for resurgence of life in the continuing cycle of end and rebirth.

 

Our people have celebrated Nowruz for thousands of years. During this course of time these celebrations were sometimes quite elaborate extending to days with numerous festivities and sometime not so elaborate. However, these celebrations across centuries have more common characteristics than differences. Nowruz has always been a time for happiness, jubilation and togetherness with families, relatives and the community. It is a time for music, dance, joy and happiness.

 

Before the arrival of Nowruz, people would make new clothes, thoroughly clean and rearrange the house and make a kind of drink by putting different dried fruits in water for a few days. They also germinate plants in special pots from wheat seed. This plant is used to make a dish called Samanak. The preparation of this special dish needs some long hours and provide an opportunity for some joyous moments where ladies spend time together cooking, singing and just being happy. On the night of Nowruz among many dishes, Sabzi Chalow (green vegetable and white rice) is traditionally common.

 

Nowruz is also a time of meeting relatives and other people and repairing and renewing broken relationships. On Nowruz people congratulate each other with words, Nowruz-e-tan Mubarak (happy Nowruz) or Sal-e-Now-e-tan Mubarak (happy new year), shake hands and embrace each others. Around the time of Nowruz, families go to pay homage to their loved ones who are no more among them and pray for them. They also go to shrines of religious people and each light a candle, in a special little shelf dug in the wall, in their honor.

 

In the city of Balkh the Mayl-e-Gul-e-Surkh (Red Flower Picnic) is a major occasion for the celebration of Nowruz. During Nowruz wild red Tulips that makes the scenes quite irresistible covering the northern plains of our country. People tend to spend time in nature and enjoy the natural beauty of their city. Another amazing festivity of Nowruz is the raising of the banner on the supposed tomb of Ali, cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad. On March 21, a banner is raised on his tomb to announce the beginning of spring and coming of the New Year. The location Ali's tomb in Balkh is subject to speculation and there is no proof that he is actually buried there. On the contrary there are rumors that it was actually a Zoroastrian Temple or some important place for Zoroastrians perhaps even the burial place of Zoroaster himself. So to avoid its destruction in the hand of Arabs they passed it on as the tomb of Ali and so protected it from destruction by Muslim armies. It is quite a subject of its own. To what extend it is true is yet to be uncovered.

 

The advent of Islam and Arab occupation have deeply affected all facades of conquered countries. Many nations succumbed to this Arab occupation and influences. In time these Arab influences were so much that the occupied nations became Arabs and are now known as Arab nations. Egypt, Syria and Iraq were not originally Arabs, but the nomads of Arabian deserts totally destroyed their cultures and languages. Fortunately, our great resilient nation survived the test of time and preserved their cherished customs and tradition. Otherwise, we would now be another one in the "Arab" bunch. Nowruz too was the subject of brutal Islamic suppression but has survived. We owe our identity, our culture and traditions to our resilient ancestors. It is now our responsibility to preserve our tradition in the face of brutal Islamic tyranny and pass it onto our future generations.