Eid-eh Shoma Mobarak!!
{Happy New Year To You!!} 
 ~The Persian Spring Festival of No Ruz~
Welcome, honored visitors!
We hope you enjoy our exhibit on this ancient Persian tradition.
Be sure to grab a commemorative plaque below. Introduction No Ruz is the oldest tradition of Iran and is celebrated beginning on the first day of Spring (around March 21st). It is also called eyd-i sar-i sal and eyd-i sal-i now (meaning “new day” though today it is translated as “new year”). The traditional festival of Spring is both mythological and cosmological in nature. A deputy of Ahura Mazda is its founder and this position gives him and the festival a dimension of spirituality and a distinct sense of secular authority.  No Ruz celebrates the dynamics of love between the Creator and the created (the physical realm). Descendants celebrate the annual return of the spirits of their ancestors in order to reestablish close familial bonds. The celebration of No Ruz, colored as it is by its both Mazdian and Zoroastrian history, is not religious nor national. It is celebrated widely throughout the world by those who are Jewish, Turkish, Armenian, Iranian, and Central Asian. The elegant, yet simple rites and customs deliver a strong universal message of belonging. Preparations - Sabzeh and Khane Tekani
Early in March the preparations begin with a khane tekani (or thorough housecleaning) and the sprouting of sabzeh (barley, wheat or lentil). The cleaning heralds from the Zoroastrians who had believed that cleanliness helped keep Evil at bay. The sabzeh mirrors the agrarian background, subject to the seasonal cycles, of the Iranian tribes; it also reflects their readiness and willingness to entertain their ancestral spirits. It is an invitation to the spirits so that they encourage the growth of the seeds after the passage of the cold winter. - Kharid-i Nowruzi
Once the seeds are sprouting and the house has been cleaned, then it is time for kharid-i Nowruzi (or shopping!). The entire family goes shopping together and all members purchase new clothes, hats, shoes and such. They also shop for the other items needed for the remainder of the No Ruz festival. The women bake different types of sweetbreads and make special clothes for the youngest family members. Lastly, the family makes a visit to the bank to acquire shiny new coins and crisp banknotes which they will give out as gifts (eydi) and use for the sofreh. 
- Gereh Gushai
If a person has had a problem during the year which they were unable to resolve, they will stop the first passerby and request that they untie a knot in the person’s shirttail. The stranger’s willingness or unwillingness to untie the knot is seen as an omen for the problem’s resolution in the new year. - Shab-i Jo'e
On the Thursday before No Ruz, dinner must consist of pilau and chicken. This ensures that a similar dinner will be available at least once a week in the upcoming year.
The Haft Cinn
A commemorative gift for our visitors! 
Code for placing
the image at your AW home:
[Persian No Ruz Spring Festival] [History of No Ruz] [Charsanbe Souri] [Haft Cinn] [Haji Firuz] [Sizdah Bedar] [Sa'at-i tahvil] [Poetry of Spring]
© 2004 D.A. Bartash ~aka~ Caileadair Etana
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