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As nuke talks intensify, White House celebrates Iranian holiday
DerekJohnson
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For other uses, see Nowruz (disambiguation).
Nowruz
نوروز
Haft-Seen, White House ceremony for Nowruz, 2008
Also called Also spelled Nourooz, Nouruz, Norouz, Norooz, Narooz, Nauruz, Nawroz, Noruz, Nohrooz, Novruz, Nauroz, Navroz, Naw-Rúz, Nowroj, Navroj, Nevruz, Newroz (Kurdish), Navruz, Navrez, Nooruz, Nauryz, Nowrouz, Наврӯз, ნავრუზი (Georgian), नवरेह (Kashmiri), નવરોઝ (Parsi Gujarati), नौरोज़ (Hindi)
Observed by Iran
Azerbaijan[1]
Afghanistan[2]
Georgia[3]
Iraq[4]
Kazakhstan[5]
Kyrgyzstan[5]
Russia[6]
Syria[7]
Tajikistan[8]
Turkey[9]
Turkmenistan[10]
India[11]
Pakistan[12]
Uzbekistan
Ethnic and religious groups worldwide: Ethnic Kazakhs in Mongolia
Kurdish diaspora
Zoroastrians, Baloch, Sufis, Ismailis, Alevis, Alawites, Babis, Bahá'ís and the Iranian diaspora and Afghan diaspora. Also observed unofficially in Bosnia, Caucasus, Crimea, among Parsis, Iranis and Kashmiri Hindus of India,[13][14] Macedonia,[13][14] Serbia, and among Uyghurs and Salars of China.
Significance New year holiday
Celebrations The Haftsin setting, Chahârshanbe Sûrî, Sizdah Bedar, etc.
Date March 19, 20, 21 or 22
2014 date Thursday 20 March 2014 at 16:57 UTC *
2015 date Friday 20 March 2015 at 22:45 UTC *
Frequency annual
Novruz, Nowrouz, Nooruz, Navruz, Nauroz, Nevruz *
Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity
Country Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, India, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan
Reference 282
Region ** Asia and Australasia
Inscription history
Inscription 2009
Name as inscribed by UNESCO
** Region as classified by UNESCO
Nowruz (Persian: نوروز, IPA: [nouˈɾuːz], meaning "[The] New Day") is the name of the Iranian/Persian New Year.[15][16][17][18][19][20][21]
Nowruz marks the first day of spring or Equinox[22] and the beginning of the year in the Persian calendar. It is celebrated on the day of the astronomical Northward equinox, which usually occurs on March 21 or the previous/following day depending on where it is observed. The moment the sun crosses the celestial equator and equalizes night and day is calculated exactly every year and families gather together to observe the rituals.
Nowruz is celebrated by people from diverse ethnic communities and religious backgrounds for thousands of years. It is a secular holiday that is enjoyed by people of several different faiths. It originated in Persia in one of the capitals of the Achaemenid empire in Persis (Fars)[23] in Iran and is also celebrated by the cultural region that came under Iranian influence or had migrations by Persians including Azerbaijan, the North Caucasus, Kurdish inhabited regions of eastern Turkey and Northern Iraq,[24] Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and other scattered populations in Central and South Asia.
Nowruz is partly rooted in the religious tradition of Zoroastrianism. Among other ideas, Zoroastrianism is the first monotheistic religion that emphasizes broad concepts such as the corresponding work of good and evil in the world, and the connection of humans to nature. Zoroastrian practices were dominant for much of the history of ancient Persia (centered in what is now Iran). Nowruz is believed to have been invented by Zoroaster himself, although there is no clear date of origin.[25] Since the Achaemenid era the official year has begun with the New Day when the Sun leaves the zodiac of Pisces and enters the zodiacal sign of Aries, signifying the Spring Equinox. Nowruz is also a holy day for Sufi Muslims, Bektashis, Ismailis, Alawites,[26] Alevis, Babis and adherents of the Bahá'í Faith.[27]
The term Nowruz in writing first appeared in historical Persian records in the 2nd century AD, but it was also an important day during the time of the Achaemenids (c. 550–330 BCE), where kings from different nations under the Persian Empire used to bring gifts to the Emperor, also called King of Kings (Shahanshah), of Persia on Nowruz. The significance of Nowruz in the Achaemenid Empire was such that the great Persian king Cambyses II's appointment as the king of Babylon was legitimized only after his participation in the New Year festival (Nowruz).[28]
The UN's General Assembly in 2010 recognized the International Day of Nowruz, describing it as a spring festival of Persian origin which has been celebrated for over 3,000 years.[29][30] During the meeting of The Inter-governmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Heritage of the United Nations, held between 28 September – 2 October 2009, Nowrūz was officially registered on the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.[31][32][33][34]
Jesus Derek.
Doing his best to keep the forums alive during the offseason.