Originally published: March 17, 2018.
“To the man of knowledge and the lover, every hour is a new year.”
Jalal ad-Din Rumi
In just a few days, a new sun will crest over the horizon, and spring will officially begin across the vast lands beneath it.
The festival of Nowruz (Persian for "New Day") marks the start of the Iranian calendar and holds deep significance from Western China to the Balkans. An agricultural holiday at its heart with ancient Zoroastrian roots, Nowruz has been observed in its current form since at least the Sassanid era, flourishing wherever Iranian culture has left its mark.
Today, Nowruz is an official or semi-official holiday in Western China, the Central Asian republics, the Caucasus, and among the Kurds, as well as in Iran itself. As a celebration of the world’s returning light after the long winter, it is steeped in imagery of abundance and renewal, with each culture preserving its own unique customs to mark the turn of the season.
In Iran, the holiday is heralded by a thorough spring cleaning and the arranging of the Haft-sin—a table set with seven symbolic items beginning with the letter 'S' to represent wealth and rebirth. On the eve of the final Wednesday before the new year, people light bonfires and leap over them during Chaharshanbe Suri. This custom, with its clear pre-Islamic echoes, has long been a thorn in the side of the Islamic Republic’s clergy; their disdain for the tradition is matched only by the deep affection the Iranian people have for it.
Across Central Asia, public festivities include pilgrimages to the tombs of saints and communal meals featuring Sumalak (also known as Samanu)—a unique dessert made from sprouted wheat. The lengthy cooking process is a social ritual for women, accompanied by traditional songs and specific rites. Meanwhile, in places like Afghanistan and Tajikistan, the holiday is marked by the high-octane spectacle of Buzkashi, where horsemen compete for control of a headless goat carcass.
So, if you find yourself on the fringes of the Iranian world—or better yet, within it as a true person of culture—remember to seek out light and joy this week. Light a fire to drive back the darkness, and if you are among the wise, may every hour be a new year for you.
Happy Nowruz! Nowruz Pirooz!
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