contents nowruz 94... · tehran, iran, p.o.box: 14515411 tel: (+98) 21-4838 1752 ... haji firooz is...

| Nowruz 1394 | April 2015

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C O N T E N T S

Poem.......................................................................3The International Day of Nowruz................................4Nowruznameh.......................................................5Nowruz Ceremonies......................................................6Amoo Norooz................................................................9Mir-e Nowruzi.............................................................10Kusa..........................................................................11Nowruz in Azerbayjan.................................................12

مجله داخل پروازیهواپیمایی ماهان

نوروز 1394

Mahan Inflight Magazine Nowruz 1394

Happy, Happy New Year!

We wish you all the best, Great work to reach your fondest goals,

And when you’re done, sweet rest.We hope for your fulfillment, Contentment, peace and more,

A brighter, better new year thanYou’ve ever had before.


"Nowruz reminds us of the values and aspirations we all share for peace through tolerance, respect and mutual understanding.”UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moonThe United Nations’ (UN) International Day of Nowruz celebrates the start of the Persian spring festival March 21 ever year. It occurs on or around the time of the March equinox. International Nowruz Day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution A/RES/64/253 of 2010, at the initiative of several countries that share this holiday (Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, India, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan.Inscribed in 2009 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

International Day of Nowruz

21 March

Page 4 | Nowruz 1394 | April 2015

of Humanity as a cultural tradition observed by numerous peoples, Nowruz is an ancestral festivity marking the first day of spring and the renewal of nature. It promotes values of peace and solidarity between generations and within families as well as reconciliation and neighborliness, thus contributing to cultural diversity and friendship among people and different communities.About 300 million people worldwide celebrate Nowruz, with traditions and rituals particularly strong in the Balkans, the Black Sea and Caspian Sea regions, the Caucasus, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East. Events may include folk dance performances, special concerts, and tree planting ceremonies.


Nowruznameh,A treatise on the origins of history and rituals of

the Nowruz feastOmar Khayyam

Nowruznameh – epistle of Nowruz – the writing of which is attributed to Omar Khayyam, the celebrated Persian-speaking poet, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher. Nowruznameh is the only classical Persian text on the historical Nowruz feast, even though the Persian poetry is inundated throughout its history with the topic of Nowruz and the related issues. This ancient feast has visited hearts and homes of the people in this geographical region, discarded the violence of winter and has planted the green foliage of love in its place.There is a wealth of information in Nowruznameh about names of horses and explanations about them, names of different types of swords, beliefs of our predecessors about beauty, styles of the kings, signs of treasures and the characteristics that our predecessors attributed to silver and gold, and etc.All that information, in the beautiful prose style of the fifth century after Hegira, wrapped in the context of mesmerizing stories and fables, has attached high literary value to this book.


NOWRUZ, Persian

New Year


As the spring's footsteps start tickling the ears, lilies, daffodils and narcissus wake up to bloom, the impatient Iranians awaiting the spring, set up a colorful celebration to give it a red carpet welcome. Nowruz is the Persians' longest and most cherished national festivity, on which all Iranians celebrate the New Year with the nature's resurrection from withered winter.

Nowruz is the Celebration of Life; it is determined according to the spring equinox and coincides with March 21, or the previous/following day, marking the start of the spring in the northern hemisphere.

Nowruz's characteristic herald, the old tambourine man, Hajji Firuz, with black-painted face and a red garb on, goes out in the cities and villages and while dancing and singing cheerful songs, spreads high spirits and delight among the public. He is the messenger of health, power, happiness and abundance in New Year. His traditional musical instruments are trumpet and tambourine; while his traditional song is "Hajji Firuz-e, Saali Ye Ruz-e",

which means "It is Hajji Firuz, coming only once a year". Along with his troupe of musicians, he strolls on the streets, alleyways, and other passages entertaining people. Generous people impressed by the performance often present the artists with some tip.

Esfand, the last winter month of the year is the high time for a welcoming preparation. To begin with, the housekeepers set out to do the spring-cleaning, "Khaane-Tekaani" in Persian, which mainly entails the washing of the carpets and the other must-wash items and furniture. The other preparation is growing "Sabzeh" (wheat, lentil, or barley seeds) in some pot, which is done about a week before Nowruz; but today many people simply buy them. One other preparation to welcome Nowruz is "Nowruzian shopping", called "Kharid-e Nowruzi".It includes purchasing new clothes, sweets, flower (in particular hyacinths and tulips) and the articles of "Haft Sin".

Number 'seven' has got a holy position in the

Persian mythology. We are told of seven levels of earth and heaven, seven deities superior to others, seven constellations which controlled the fate of the mortals and even seven days in a week. Seven-S spread, in Persian called "Sofreye Haft Sin", is the inextricable component of all homes on Nowruz. Sofreh means spread or tablecloth and Haft Sin, seven-S. The role of Haft Sin is very comparable to that of the Christmas tree in the Christian countries. Each item has its own symbolism, which stems from the advent of the custom. Haft Sin's most outstanding item is "Sabzeh" (the green sprouts of wheat, barley or lentil) which symbolizes rebirth and usually is beatified with a strip of red ribbon, while an orange may be placed atop. A glittering red or yellow "Seeb"(apple) is the second and stands for beauty and good health. "Samanu", a kind of a sweet pudding or custard, is the next article symbolizing affluence. The following item stands for love and is called "Senjed", fruit of the oleaster or lotus tree. The forth one is "Seer" (garlic) and is the representative of medicine on the spread.


Nowruz Spread and DishesThen there exists sumac berries, "Somaq", which epitomizes the color of the sunrise;and as the last article "Serkeh" (vinegar) epitomizes patience and age.

There are also some articles whose initial is not "S", but count with the items of "Sofreye Haft-Sin". A religious book(Quran, for Muslims), an upright mirror, burning candles, colored eggs (as the Easter eggs), a bowl of water with an orange floating in, a bowl of water with a gold fish within, Iranian sweetmeats, confectioneries, different fruits, traditional Iranian pastries such as baghlava, "aajeel" (dried nuts, berries and raisins) are other important components of the whole Nowruz festival, and the national colors of Iran. Nowruz has its own particular dishes, too. "Sabzi-Polo Mahi", rice with green herbs and fish, is served on the night just preceding Nowruz, or on the same Nowruz day. On the next day "Reshte Polo", rice cooked with noodles is prepared. "Koku Sabzi" is served for the dinner and is made out of herbs and vegetable soufflé.

Nowruz Ceremonies

Nowruz begins with "Saal Tahvil", which can be translated as the renewal of the year. It is the very first instant in the New Year; the exact moment of the spring equinox. Everybody in the family, dressed up in his or her new clothes, gathers around the Haft Sin spread looking forward to "SaalTahvil". As the countdown ushers in the New Year, the members of the family, rejoicing, cheer up, hug and kiss each other, and exchange Nowruz greetings, "Eid-e Shomamobarak!" or "Sal-e No Mobarak" (Happy New Year). Now families, have a set schedule of visits to their relatives, neighbors and friends and receiving their visits, too.

This custom that first the young call on the elder demonstrates the respect that Iranians pay to the aged people. Visits are short, so that a typical visit takes one about 30 minutes."Eidi", new-year gift, is another characteristic feature of Nowruz. Within the family, it is the duty of the head of the household to grant the Eidi to the members of the family, the same can be true of the visitors as well. Of course, in the case of visitors only those who are considered younger, or lower in rank, would receive "Eidi". The rounds of visitations might last as long as twelve days, up to the day of "Sizdah Bedar".

Nowruz repeats and renews everything, generates and revives the nature and influences Iranian creative soul, emotion and thought.



Amoo Norooz, Nanehsarma & Haji FiruzAmu Nowruz or Amoo Norooz means the "Uncle Norooz". Along with his side-kick Hajji Firuz, Amoo Norooz ushers in the spring time every year according to Iranian tradition. On the eve of spring equinox, when the Iranian New Year is celebrated in the Iran Cultural Continent from Albania in the West to the west of the China in the East, Amoo Norooz brings children gifts, much like his Western counterpart Santa Claus. Along with Amoo Norooz and Haji Firooz, the Iranian New Year mythical characters include Naneh Sarma, sometimes called "Lady of the Cold Spells" , or "Grandma Frost".Haji Firooz is the announcer of Norooz's arrival while Amoo Norooz is more of a respected—almost always older—character who gives the gifts of Norooz. Haji Firooz is young, playful and clownish, dancing, chanting, and playing his tambourine to bring good cheer. Amoo Norooz, on the other hand, is more of a wise historical presence who passes the old story of Nowruz to the young, thus giving the occasion the respect it deserves. Also, Haji Firooz demands eidee, "presents" while Amoo Norooz grants presents.


Mir-e Noroozi is, in fact, a temporary governor who governs the municipality for a few days. Usually individuals from the working class are chosen for this task. This temporary king, clad in official attire for the occasion, organizes an army and appoints assistants; in short he forms a government of his own and is given a lot of authority, and therefore has the right to punish and reward people. In olden times, for instance, if a merchant sold goods for a price higher than the actual cost during Nowruz, the Mir could publicly punish him for this. Sometimes the Mir would look at this game as an opportunity to punish his enemies. Usually on the last day of his reign, the temporary king runs away and hides somewhere, because people could become vengeful as a result of his behavior during his reign. In northern Khorasan, this playful king is called Khaan-e Sizdah Roozeh (literally, the 13 days ruler). You can even find the trace of this game in the poetry of the Persian poet of the 14th century, Hafez: I speak behind the curtains of metaphor, come out of the bud like a flower For, the temporary king of Nowruz has a verdict for but five days

Mir-e Nowruzi


KusaA Persian carnival character known to the medieval and modern folklore of central and western Persia. KUSA “a man with little or no beard, beardless”), a carnival character known to the medieval and modern folklore of central and western Persia. The celebration of the Kusa festival “the riding of the thin-bearded” is reported by early Islamic authors and some more recent, secondary texts. The custom was performed during the spring festival. An ugly, thin-bearded man, dressed in rags, appeared in the streets riding a donkey or a mule, holding a crow in one hand and a fan in the other. He bade farewell to the winter and announced the coming of spring, demanding money for his good news. In spite of a still cold weather, Kusa pretended to be hot, fanning himself with his fan and exclaiming (“Warmth! Warmth!”). (In order to feel warm actually, he ate warming food (chestnuts, garlic, fat meat), and rubbed some ointments on his body. The people threw water, snow, and ice on him and he, by his turn, threw some muddy, staining matter at those who refused him a gift.What is described in these old sources seems to be an institutionalized urban custom. The role of Kusawas hereditary and lucrative. Kusawas allowed to circulate only until the afternoon; if caught afterwards, he may be beaten.

Mir-e Nowruzi


Nowruz in AzerbaijanNowruz in Azerbaijan is a traditional holiday which celebrates the New Year, and the coming of spring. When Azerbaijan was part of the Soviet Union, celebration of Nowruz was generally unofficial, and at times even prohibited. Currently in Azerbaijan, Nowruz is treated as an official public holiday. In accordance with Article 105 of the Labor Code of Azerbaijan passed in 2006, workers receive five days off for Nowruz.

Nowruz customs and celebrationUsually preparation for Nowruz begins a month prior to the festival. Each of forthcoming 4 weeks is devoted to one of the four elements and called accordingly in Azerbaijan. Each Tuesday people celebrate the day of one of the four elements - water, fire, earth and wind. People do house cleaning, plant trees, make new dresses, paint eggs and make national pastries such as shekerbura, pakhlava, shorgoghal and a great variety of national cuisine. Wheat is fried with kishmish (raisins) and govurga (nuts). As a tribute to fire-respecting every Tuesday during four weeks before the holiday, kids jump over small bonfires and candles are lit. On the holiday eve the graves of relatives are visited and tended.Nowruz is a family holiday. In the evening before the holiday the whole family gathers around the holiday table laid with various dishes to make the New Year rich. The holiday goes on for several days and ends with festive public entertainment of folk bands, contests of national sports. In rural areas crop holidays are marked.The decoration of the festive table is khoncha, a big silver or copper tray with Samani, green shoots from wheat seeds placed in the center and candles and dyed eggs by the number of family members around it. The table should be set, at least, with seven dishes.

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