Iranian New Year or Norooz... Why it is celebrated in March?

 We live in the world with full of traditions and festivals. Every country is beautiful with its culture and customs, and today I want to share this post about Iranian New Year or Norooz, which has been celebrated yesterday.

 Before starting I would like to say many thanks to my Iranian friend Nahal, who started this post in her Facebook page and I have finished it up here in my blog.

 Nowruz Persian  (نوروز‎) is the name of Iranian New Year in Iranian Calendar and corresponding traditional celebrations. Norooz is celebrated and observed by Iranian people and the related cultural continent and has spreads in many other parts of the world, including parts of Central Asia, Caucasus, South Asia, Northwestern China, the Crimea and some groups in Balkans.
Originally being Zoroastrian festival, and the holiest of them all, Norooz is believed to have been invented by Zoroaster himself, although there is no clear date of origin. Since the Achaemenid era the official year has begun with the New Day when the Sun leaves the zodiac of Pisces and enters the zodiac sigh of the Aries, signifying the spring Equinox.

 The term Norooz in writing first appeared in Persian records in the 2nd century AD,but it was also and important day during the time of the Achaemenids (548-330 BC) where the kings from different nations under the Persian Empire used to bring gifts to the Emperor, also called King of Kings (Shahanshah) of Persian on Norooz.

 Significance of Norooz in Achaemenid empire was such that the great Persian King Cambyses II's appointment as a king of Babylon was legitimized only after his participation in the New Year festival.
Now lets come to the festival and see how Iranians celebrate it nowadays.
Few days prior to New Year, special cover spread on the table and this table is called cloth of seven dishes. The number seven has been sacred in Iran since ancient time, and seven dishes stay for the seven angelic heralds of life: rebirth, health, happiness, prosperity, joy, patience and beauty.
The symbolic dishes consist of:

1. Sabzeh or Sprouts, which are wheat or lentil representing rebirth,
2. Samanu, it's a pudding from wheat sprouts which are transformed into sweet creamy pudding, 
3. Seeb, which means an apple and that represents health and beauty,
4. Senjed, the sweet dry fruit of Lotus tree, represents love,
5. Seer, which is garlic in Persian and represents  medicine,
6. Somaq, Sumaq berries, represents the color of sunrise with the appearance of the Sun, Good conquers Evil,
7. Serkeh or vinegar, represents age and patience.

To reconfirm all hopes and wished expressed by the traditional foods, other elements and symbols are also in the table:

1. Few coins on the table represents prosperity and wealth, 
2. a basket of painted eggs represents fertility,
3. a Seville orange floating in a bowl of water represents the Earth floating in Space,
4. a goldfish in bowl represents life and the end of astral year-picas,
5. a flash of rose water knows for its magical cleansing power,
6. nearby is a brazier for burning wild rue, a sacred herb whose smoldering fumes ward of evil spirits,
7. a pot of flowering hyacinth or narcissus is also set,
8. a mirror which represents the images and reflections of Creation as they celebrate anew the ancient Persian traditions and beliefs that creation took place on the  first day of spring,
9. on other side of the mirror are two candlesticks, holding flickering candle for each child in the family. The candles represents enlightenment and happiness.  

The UN's General Assembly in 2010 recognized the International Day of Norooz, describing it as a Spring festival of Persian origin. which has been celebrated for over 3000 years. During the meeting of the Inter-Governmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the ntengible Heritage of the United Nations, held between 28th September to 2nd October 2009 in Abu Dhabi, Norooz was officially registered on UNESCO List of the  Intangible cultural Heritage of the Humanity.

The only thing is left to say Iranians, is Norooz Mobarak, and let's it be year of prosperity and success.