As the war escalates across the region, colleagues and friends are asking me how I am, how I feel,...
This year’s Nowruz (New Year) celebrations are shrouded with a deep sadness for most Iranians. The devastating events of the last three months – on top of decades of suffering and oppression – have left many reeling and exhausted.
For ordinary citizens who have lost loved ones or suffered severe injuries in the recent protests and now in the war, it is especially heavy. And many Iranian families will be marking the festival displaced from their homes.
For people living in happier, safer, and freer places, any celebration under these circumstances may understandably seem strange.
Not celebrating Nowruz, however, would represent a denial of authentic Iranian cultural identity, which the country’s people have struggled passionately to uphold through many years of suppression. This, along with other pre-Islamic Persian festivals such as Yalda’s Eve, are a beloved part of Iranian heritage.
For Iranians, therefore, marking Nowruz is an expression of resilience, since the festival’s joyful celebration of life is an antidote to all the people have suffered in recent times. So despite the occasion being tinged with sadness this year, Iranians everywhere are looking with hope to a “new day,” longing for a new beginning that will offer new possibilities for the nation.
SAT-7’s Persian-language channel, SAT-7 PARS, is broadcasting a special program to mark Nowruz on March 20, providing a space for viewers to come together in both remembrance and hope.
Combining two of the channel’s popular programs, Generation of Hope and Heavenly Worship, the 90-minute show will incorporate the exact moment of the New Year transition. It will provide reflective worship and prayer to remember the Iranian citizens who have recently lost their lives. The program will also explore the roots of Nowruz and the importance of renewal, with a special focus on young people.
Nowruz marks the precise moment of the spring equinox, and its origins are thought to go back over 3,000 years.
Nowruz, which means “new day,” is an ancient festival that falls on first day of spring and always marks the start of the Iranian New Year. It is a special occasion for Iranians of all ethnic and religious backgrounds, including Azeri, Baluch, Gilak, Kurdish, Lori, and Persian communities.
Nowruz marks the precise moment of the spring equinox, and its origins are thought to go back over 3,000 years. The celebrations include rituals and sharing special food normally consisting of herbed rice and fish as well as other dishes. New clothes are worn; visits are made to family and friends, and gifts are given, especially to children. One tradition is a deep spring clean before the new year, known in Persian as khooneh tekouni, literally “shaking the house.” Families decorate their freshly cleaned homes with plants and fresh flowers such as hyacinths and tulips.
Nowruz is celebrated by over 300 million people in Persian-speaking countries, including Afghanistan and Tajikistan, as well as in the Balkans, the Black Sea Basin, the Caucasus, and other regions in Central Asia and the near East.
At SAT-7 PARS, we were delighted to hear from our dear young viewer, Armita, who recently found safety in a new country. Originally from Afghanistan, but living most of her life in Tajikistan, she shared in a special video message how Nowruz is celebrated in those two different countries.
In Iran, the festival lasts 13 days, and on the final day people visit the countryside and, circumstances permitting, enjoy picnics and even barbeques. Among Iranians there is a tradition of casting the wheat they have grown (Sabzi) into a stream to be carried away, along with (they hope) their cares and concerns.
The Nowruz centerpiece in every home is a table featuring the “haft-seen,” comprising seven items:
These are thought to symbolize new life and growth, strength, health and beauty, healing, love, patience, and sunlight. It is common to see a mirror and candle/s placed on the table (to increase light) as well as a book of poems (usually Hafez) and goldfish. In some homes, other items such as coins, decorated eggs, and, for many Christians, a copy of the Bible may be included on the table.
Iranian Christians celebrate Nowruz like their compatriots, since underlying themes of the festival relating to new life resonate powerfully as a reminder of the promise of new life that we have in Christ, who is the Light of the world.
As I plan to celebrate Nowruz with my family this year, my thoughts remain with the many Iranian people who have experienced grief and loss at a time that should be marked by joy and warmth. Please join with me in praying for a speedy conclusion to the war, and for freedom and justice to be enshrined in a renewed Iran.
Nowruz Pirooz.*
* a victorious Nowruz
OMEED JOUYANDÉ
SAT-7 PARS Media Officer | Omeed Jouyandé became a Christian from an atheist background in the 1980s. He was born in Iran and in his teens moved to the UK where he currently lives with his wife and two children. He has worked in the voluntary sector in communications and development. His interests include writing, music, and cycling.
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