Nowruz, literally meaning “New Day” in Farsi, is celebrated by over 300 million people around the world.Â
The festival, marking the Iranian new year, began over 3,000 years ago and has its roots in the ancient Iranian religion of Zoroastrianism that predates Islam and Christianity.Â
Nowruz is celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox, which usually falls between March 19-22.
To Zoroastrians, it represents the emergence of spring, and of life, out of the barren darkness of winter, represented the triumph of good over evil and of the creator god of light Ahura Mazda over the lord of destruction Angra Mainyu.Â
However, the festival is now secular and is celebrated by Iranian cultures across the world. The celebrations last for 13 days, with it being seen as an opportunity to reflect on the past and look towards the future.
Celebrations typically differ from country to country but all have common themes, such as dancing that involves jumping over fire, which is symbolic for life overcoming the destructive chaos of flame. One of the most widespread and famous celebrations is the Haft-Seen table, which must only contain items that begin with the letter S.
Given its roots are in region, The New Arab takes a look at where Nowruz is celebrated.
Iran
In Iran, Nowruz constitutes four public holidays, with it lasting two weeks. The festival is officially supported by the government, but during the country’s Islamic revolution, ultra-conservative factions attempted to ban the celebration claiming it is “pagan” and against Islam. However, such is its popularity, that it is now widely used by government officials and political figures to make speeches, with many Iranians complaining about it becoming politicised.Â
Iraq
Nowruz is also an official holiday within Iraq, with it holding special significance for Kurds in the country, given they belong to Iranian peoples. Though Nowruz doesn’t hold the same significance among Iraq’s Arab majority, it is not uncommon for them to adhere to some parts of the festival, especially among Shia.Â
Turkey
Similar to Iraq, Nowruz in Turkey is mostly celebrated by the country’s large Kurdish minority, but it is also extremely significant to the country’s Alevi Muslims. Â
Syria
Like Turkey and Iraq, Nowruz is an extremely important time for Syrian Kurds. It is also of particular spiritual significance for Syria’s Ismaili Shia Muslim minority, particularly the Nizari Ismailis, who share strong cultural links with Iranian cultures.
Lebanon
In Lebanon, Nowruz is more of a culturally specific phenomenon than any kind of national event. It is practised mostly by the country’s small Kurdish minority in Beirut. Among Shia Lebanese, celebration of the festival is political, with those closely connected to Iran culturally or politically, especially supporters of Hezbollah, more likely to celebrate it.
Which other countries celebrate Nowruz?
Beyond the Middle East, many other countries and ethnicities within countries support Nowruz. The festival is known to be practised in Pakistan and India, particularly among Parsi populations who are Zoroastrians descended from Iranian migrants.Â
It is also a public holiday in many Central Asian countries and those in the Caucuses, including in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Georgia. In Afghanistan, the Taliban have banned public celebrations of the festival.
Despite Chinese government attempts to stop it, it is also widely celebrated among the Uyghur Muslims of the Xinjiang province in China, as well as in Bayan-Ölgii province of Mongolia, which has a Kazakh majority.Â
In Europe, the festival is a public holiday in Albania and Kosovo.Â
In the US, Nowruz celebrations in California are particularly notable due to the large Iranian community in the state.Â
