ambience: Noruz song
Since the time of Zoroaster, 600 years before the birth of Christ, Persians have celebrated their New Years on the first day of spring. It’s called Noruz. I’m Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet.
Traditionally, the observance of Noruz begins on the eve of the Wednesday before the first day of spring. Mahnaz Afkhami is Director of the Foundation for Iranian Studies.
“The last Wednesday before the Noruz celebration people make bonfires and they jump over the fire. The idea is that as you jump over the bonfires you say, you repeat: ‘Your redness be mine. My yellowness be yours.’ That is to give away the paleness or look of unwellness that one may have and take the glowing red of the fire.”
Noruz means ‘new day,’ and it’s a time for wearing new clothes, gift-giving, and for celebrating a family gathering with food and objects symbolizing life and faith and love. On the thirteenth day after New Year’s, it’s considered unlucky to stay inside, so everyone goes on a picnic.
“The whole nation goes out of the house and goes outside to the countryside and then if you’re in Iran you know you see people who’ve taken their little carpets and they’ve spread it by some kind of a running water or under a tree and then they would be sitting there; they have their samovars and drinking tea and having picnics of rice and herbs and fish and so forth.”
Another custom observed on the thirteenth day of the celebration is that wheat sprouts which had been grown in time for New Year’s, are thrown into running water, and along with them goes any bad luck from the previous year.
Pulse of the Planet is presented by the National Science Foundation. I’m Jim Metzner.