Monday, March 20th, marks the grand festival of Nowruz. On this day, Iranians usher in the Persian New Year at the exact moment of the vernal equinox which marks the start of spring.
Being originally a festival of Persian origin, Nowruz is also celebrated by hundreds of millions of people from other ethno-linguistic groups in a dozen countries.
Nowruz is widely celebrated in Iran’s neighboring countries Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey as well as in countries as far away as Georgia, Albania, Kosovo, China and India.
Nowruz festivities last for two weeks and are preceded by “Chaharshanbeh Suri” or the Festival of Fire during which people make bonfires and jump over them. The symbolic tradition is meant to trade one’s ailments and problems with the flames’ warmth, energy and power of life.
The Persian New Year comes with its own special rituals. Families take advantage of the two-week holidays to join together for house visits and outdoor fun events.
One of the special observances of the occasion is the table setting known as Haft Sin, which means the seven S’s in Persian. The table features seven items all of which start with the letter S in Persian. Families gather around the table and pray while waiting for the exact moment of the spring equinox. These symbolic items represent health, prosperity, longevity, reproduction and happiness for the family members throughout the year.
One of the customs of Nowruz is to exchange house visits during which guests are served tea, pastries, nuts and fruits. People also exchange gifts and money to congratulate each other on the advent of the New Year.
Literally translated into New Day, Nowruz is the first day of the Iranian solar calendar.
The UN's General Assembly recognized the International Day of Nowruz in 2010, describing it as a spring festival of Iranian origin, which has been celebrated for over 3,000 years. Also in 2009, Nowruz was officially registered on the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Nowruz festivities culminate in Sizdebedar, the last day of the holidays which falls on the 13th day of the New Year. This is a day that has to be spent outdoors. Families leave their houses for picnics, outdoor games and strolls in nature.
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani says the new Iranian year is a time to create new jobs for the country’s youths, adding that what the country achieved in the past year in terms of curbing inflation and creating jobs has been unprecedented in the past 25 years.
“The new year will be the year of progress and development for our dear nation. The new year will be the year of more employment [opportunities] for our youths,” Rouhani said in a televised address to the Iranian nation on Monday on the occasion of the Iranian New Year.
“We need to carry out more efforts to compensate for the shortcomings,” he added.
“What we achieved in the last year in terms of curbing inflation, economic growth and job creation, has had no precedent in the past 25 years,” the Iranian president said.
During the preceding year, the country achieved an economic growth rate of eight percent for the first time after 11 years, he noted.
Rouhani also commended efforts by the country’s oil and gas industry in doubling the production of crude oil and condensate last year.
“Through oil diplomacy and because of efforts made by engineers and workers we managed to reclaim our past position in the production of oil and gas and condensate,” the Iranian chief executive said.
He also referred to the unveiling of a charter of citizenship rights last year, saying, “The charter of citizenship rights was unveiled last year as promised. Today, we will implement that charter with the help of you people.”
The Iranian president warned that “everybody must know that if they violate the citizenship rights, they will pay a very high price.”
He noted that Iranians must take part in two important elections this year, noting that ensuring people’s maximum turnout in those elections as well as holding “healthy competitions and constitutional elections” must be everybody’s goal.
Earlier on Monday, in his televised message to the nation on the occasion of the Persian New Year, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei stressed the importance of domestic production and employment, especially for the Iranian youths.
“These are the main and key sectors. If we manage to focus on these two sectors and plan and categorize our affairs on this basis, I believe that the task will move forward to a great extent and impressive and tangible achievements will be made,” the Leader said.
The Leader designated the new Iranian calendar year of 1396 as the “Year of Economy of Resistance: Production and Employment."
