It marks the end of the Nowruz holidays in Iran. It occurs the moment of the March equinox. Read more. Last Name. First Name. Relief of Lion Attacking Bull - Persepolis Eternally fighting bull personifying the moon , and a lion personifying the sun representing the spring. Persepolis stairs of the Apadana relief A bas-relief at the Apadana, Persepolis, depicting Armenians bringing their famous wine to the king. Previous Next. Persian New Year Nowruz is a holiday which is celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox.
This means that it usually falls around March 20th on the Gregorian calendar. It is not only celebrated in Iran, and other parts of Asia, but is also celebrated in the Caucasus, the Balkans, and the Black Sea Basin.
For most people who celebrate it, it is a secular holiday. However, for the Zoroastrians, it is considered a holy day. Nowruz, also known as Noruz, is believed to have been celebrated as far back as BC but written Persian records of this holiday only go back to the 2nd century A.
When Ardashir I Pabakan founded the Sasanian Dynasty, he establish consistent records that included details of how and when Nowruz was celebrated. During this time, it was one of the most prominent holidays of its time. For many years, Iran was the only country which officially observed Nowruz. Festivities start early — the four Tuesdays in the run-up to Novruz celebrate the four elements: water, fire, earth and air.
Throughout this period, families gather to make traditional pastries like paklava , shekerbura and goghal representing the stars, moon and sun, respectively , as well as savoury staples like plov a saffron-infused meat and rice dish , dolma vine leaves stuffed with lamb, rice and herbs and fragrant kebab. The country is taken over by street festivals involving traditional song and dance, tightrope-walking and the comical characters of Kecel and Kosa, who theatricalise the struggles between winter and spring.
The largest festival of this kind is held in the capital, Baku. Other Azeri traditions include painting eggs; jumping over roaring bonfires; fortune-telling to foresee if and when girls will get married; and visiting the graves of relatives.
For the most part, Afghanistan heralds the new year in a similar way to its neighbours. Nowroz was banned under the Taliban regime of the s, who considered it a pagan festival, but many families still celebrated in private. During an Afghan Nowroz feast, expect to find the likes of kolcheh Nowrozi biscuits made with rice flour , sabzi challow spinach and lamb curry with rice and haft mewa, a fruit salad made with seven dried fruits and nuts soaked in syrup.
Traditions across the region have similar characteristics think plenty of food , family gatherings, colourful street festivals and nomadic sports , although they can vary slightly from country to country and sometimes even city to city. In Tajrish Square, one of the busiest parts of Tehran, people bought food and other items from the market.
Traditionally in Iran, people decorate a Nowruz table with - among other things - goldfish, wheat grass, candles and mirrors. In Turkey, thousands of Kurdish people celebrated in Istanbul with music and dancing. India's Parsi community marked the day by going to Zoroastrian fire temples. Here, a father takes his son to a temple in Mumbai's Tardeo neighbourhood. In Srinagar, in Indian-administered Kashmir, people had leech treatment. Every year on Nowruz, Kashmiri healers apply leeches which they say can suck impure blood out of people with health conditions.
And after sunset in the Iraqi Kurdish town of Akra, people carried fire torches and set off fireworks.
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