On Tuesday, hundreds of millions of people will celebrate the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere as Nowruz meaning ‘New Day.’
For centuries, the passing of the so-called dark season, and the arrival of spring has heralded new beginnings.
But the spring equinox, observed in the north on March 21, marks more than just the changing of seasons.
What is Nowruz?
The largely secular holiday’s origins pre-date modern borders by several millennia, spanning cultures across the Balkans, through the Middle East, and deep into Central and South Asia. It is widely considered to have Persian roots.
For some, such as people of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Tajikistan and many of the Asian republics of the former Soviet Union as well as Persian and Kurdish communities (Kurds), Nowruz is the beginning of the new calendar year.
The United Nations formally recognised it as an but it has been celebrated for at least 3000 years as a time of new beginnings and new opportunities.
How is it celebrated?
There’s no single way to celebrate Nowruz across so many cultures, but there are some similarities among them, including plenty of food, fun, family, gifts, fire and a fresh start.
For many Afghans, it means joining with family and friends, as well as attending community events where families and children wear traditional clothes, cook traditional food like Samanak, and serve traditional drinks like Haft Mewa. Celebrations once lasted many weeks, although now it’s largely celebrated on March 21st.
Families prepare Samanak, a sweet dish, while singing and dancing in traditional clothes throughout the night, as elders share stories. Haft Mewa is also made. It’s a drink created from seven different types of nuts kept in a covered bowl for three days before serving.
Maryam Popal, a Sydney-based Afghan says for her, Nowruz is about new beginnings. Source: SBS, Supplied
Despite its ancient roots, for the more than 35 million Kurds living in Turkey and across the Middle East maintaining celebrations has been a hard-fought battle.
“During celebrations especially early 1990’s many people were killed," Mahmut Kahraman from the Kurdish Democratic Community Centre of Victoria said.
Nowruz for Kurds is a day of freedom, a day of struggle, and also new year for Kurdish people.
In Iran, families clean their homes and buy new clothes, but perhaps the most exhilarating event occurs on the Wednesday before Nowruz, when bonfires are lit to jump over, and children gather coins and treats as they visit neighbours.
A key custom in Persian and Iranian culture is Haft-sin or Haft-seen where tables are set with traditional foods and recipes beginning with an “S” sound such as Seeb (apple) Sabze (green grass) or Sabzeh (wheat or lentil sprouts), Serke (vinegar), Samanoo (a wheat paste), Senjed - (a berry native to the region), Sekke (a coin), and Seer (garlic).
Haft Sin or the 7 'S's is a major tradition of Nowruz The haft sin table includes seven items specifically starting with the letter S in the Persian alphabet. Source: Kaveh Kazemi/Getty Images
“I think for most people who celebrate Nowruz, it is a symbol of freshness, birth of nature, and a new beginning,” SBS Persian producer Mehdi Gholizadeh said.
It’s a sentiment shared by SBS Kurdish Executive Producer Mayada Khalil.
“The fire lit during Nowruz celebrations is a symbol of light, goodness, and purification."
People participate in a torch procession during celebrations of the Kurdish New Year Nowruz in Akre, Aqrah City in Duhok, Kurdistan Region, northern Iraq. Source: EPA/GAILAN HAJI
Isn’t Nowruz spelled differently?
If you feel like you’ve seen it spelled differently or heard it pronounced in a few different ways, you almost certainly have.
Nowruz, Newroz, Nawroz, Novruz, Nowrouz, Nooruz, Navruz, Nauroz or Nevruz are all variations of the same event depending on what culture is celebrating it.
If it’s about Spring, why is it celebrated in Australia’s Autumn?
In the Southern Hemisphere, Australia's shorter days and cooler nights haven’t deterred communities from passing on the cultural traditions of their ancestors, wherever they now call home.
But Maryam Popal concedes, it’s not quite the same.
“In Australia, we don’t have as much fun Nowruz as I remember because in Australia we can (only) celebrate it at home or in the community where there’s a smaller version of it.
“In Afghanistan, it used to be a big, big – like the whole country would celebrate it.”