ambience: Noruz Music
For thousands of years, the first day of spring has marked the start of Noruz, the Persian New Year. I’m Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet.
“Noruz is a festival of rebirth and growth, a celebration of living things, the starting of life.”
Mahnaz Afkhami is director of the Foundation for Iranian Studies.
“The way it is celebrated in Iran is that at the moment when the sun is passing the equator, and the moment that spring comes in, the family gathers together around the table and on this table are placed seven items. Each of which’s names start with the letter S in Persian. And they each symbolize an aspect of the celebration. For instance there is an apple which in Persian is sib and it symbolizes health and robustness. There is garlic which is sir in Persian and that celebrates health and the warding off of evil and illness. And one of the most important things is sprouts of wheat which we grow and display on the table and that of course is symbolic of good crops of growth and of plenty. And, of course, since this is a cross cultural, cross religious, cross ethnic celebration, people have on the table their particular holy book. So this is how the day begins and of course during the following days, people visit relatives and the celebrations and the visits go on for thirteen days.”
Pulse of the Planet is presented by the National Science Foundation. I’m Jim Metzner.