The greatest Persian
festival, Noe-Rooz, celebrates the coming of spring by
nations of Iranian (Aryan) heritage, who have a common
foundation, language and history. These include Iranians, Tajiks,
Azerbaijanis, Kurds, Afghans, Belouchis and the multitude of
Parsees in India. "Noe" in the Persian, language means
"new" and "Rooz" means "day", therefore, Noe-Rooz,
literally means New Day.
Noe-Rooz occurs
exactly when the length of night and day are equal, which is the
spring Equinox. It is also the day when the sun leaves the
Zodiac sign of Pisces and re-enters the sign of Aries. As the
solar year is 365 days, five hours, 49 minutes and 4 seconds,
Noe-Rooz does not fall on the same day each year but moves
between March 19th and 22nd in the
Christian calendar.
To the Iranians, Noe-Rooz is far more
than just a New Year's celebration, and throughout the centuries
its spirit has helped them through hardship and strife during
war and foreign occupation.
Noe-Rooz is a
huge family celebration, and Iranians return to their hometowns
and villages to celebrate the New Year with their relatives and
friends.
The origins of Noe-Rooz are unknown,
but they go back several thousand years predating the
Achaemenian Dynasty. The ancient Iranians had a festival called
"Farvardgan" which lasted ten days, and took place at the
end of the solar year. It appears that this was a festival of
sorrow and mourning, signifying the end of life while the
festival of Noe-Rooz, at the beginning of spring
signified rebirth, and was a time of great joy and celebration.
The other ancient symbolic representation of
Noe-Rooz is based around the idea of the triumph of good
over evil. According to the Shah-nama (The Book of
Kings), the national Iranian epic by Ferdowsi, Noe-Rooz
came into being during the reign of the mythical King Jamshid;
when he defeated the evil demons (divs) seizing their treasures,
becoming master of everything but the heavens and bringing
prosperity to his people. To reach the heavens, Jamshid ordered
a throne to be built with the jewels he had captured. He then
sat on the throne and commanded the demons to lift him up into
the sky. When the sun's rays hit the throne, the sky was
illuminated with a multitude of colours. The people were amazed
at the King's power and they showered him with even more jewels
and treasures. This day of great celebration was named
Noe-Rooz, and was recognised as the first day of the year.
Little is known about the Noe-Rooz
ceremonies during the reign of the
Achaemenian
kings, as foreigners were not admitted to the celebrations
before the time of
Alaxander the Great. However, there is a wealth of
information dating back to the
Sassanid
Dynasty (224-652 A.D.).
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One of the staircases in Persepolis
depecting a procession of Median dignitaries on their way to
the festival of Noe-Rooz. |
On the first day of
Noe-Rooz, the Sassanid king would wear new clothes made
of silk, and sit alone upon his throne in the receiving
hall.
The chief magus1 would then enter the room with
his novitiates2 carrying a tray bearing a gold
chalice with red wine, a bejeweled ring, one gold sovereign,
a bunch of myrtle, a sword, a bow and arrow, a pen and an
inkwell. There would also be a white horse, attended by a
groom waiting in the palace.
The
army commanders and the senior members of government were
then invited into the throne room to present the king with
their good wishes. On behalf of all the well wishers, the
magus would then recite the following soliloquy:
"...Live long with the spirit of glory. Drink
from the chalice of Jamshid for wisdom. Stay green and young
always as the myrtle. May you reign always straight as an arrow.
May your blade stay keen against our foes. May your steed be
strong and fast upon the enemy. May your treasury always be
filled with gold and gems. May your pen serve the writ of
justice..."
The chief magus then handed the gifts one by
one to the king while the nobles and senior knights witnessed
the event.
In the days that followed the king attended to
his people, pardoning prisoners, and giving presents and new
clothing to the poor. During the final days of the
celebrations, the governors (satraps) would present their
gifts to the king, thus bringing an end to the festival of
Noe-Rooz.
The feast of Noe-Rooz was also a
favourite subject among the classic poets. Descriptions of the
natural world during springtime were commonly used in their
poetry. Although
Fitzgerald may not be an accurate translator of the Rubáiyát
of Omar Khayyám, he captures his spirit well:
"...Come fill the Cup, and in
the Fire of Spring
The Winter Garment of
Repentance fling:
The Bird of Time has but a
little way
To fly - and Lo! the Bird is on
the Wing..."
(From the Rubáiyát of Omar
Khayyám)
***
In spite of a stormy history of civil wars and
foreign occupations, the Iranians have managed to preserve the
spirit and traditions of Noe-Rooz throughout the
centuries, and continue to do so today, no matter where they
reside.
