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NOROUZ
Annual Fundraising Gala
| Background
The
festival of Norouz represents a major part of the Iranian
peoples’ rich culture and is one of the cornerstones of the
eastern civilisations.
The
origins of Norouz (New Day) are unknown, but references to it
can be traced back to several thousand years predating the
Achaemenid Dynasty (ca. 700 to 330 BC).
The
ancient Iranians marked the last ten days of the solar year in a
solemn ceremony of mourning (‘Farvardgan’) to signify the
end of life. This
was followed by the festival of Norouz that in contrast
celebrated the rebirth of nature, signifying the rebirth of life
and this was a great occasion for celebration and joy.
The
details of Norouz ceremonies during the reign of the Achaemenid
kings are not known, possibly because until the time of
Alexander the Great foreigners were barred from attending these
occasions. However,
there is no shortage of references to the rituals of celebrating
the Norouz during and after the reign of the Sasanian Dynasty
(226 – 652 AD).
One
of the rock reliefs of the staircases in Persepolis depicts a
procession of Median dignitaries on their way to the festival of
Norouz, carrying ceremonial and symbolic offerings.
The
basis of the rituals have remained remarkably intact for several
thousand years, observed by vast populations living in Iran,
Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan and Central Asia, as well as ex-pat
communities living through out the world.
The
significant moment that starts the celebrations is when the
earth goes through the spring equinox i.e. the exact moment when
the earth has completed one revolution of the Sun, which is
calculated with split second accuracy.
The
Zoroastrians of ancient Persia celebrated the creation of life
by offering their god, Ahura Mazda, seven trays filled with
symbolic objects representing truth, justice, good thoughts,
good deeds, virtue, prosperity, generosity and immortality.
Today,
the tradition is continued through the setting of a special
table or spread with an arrangement of specific symbolic items,
seven of which have names that start with the Persian letter
Seen (s). These
are:
| Sabzeh |
Wheat
or lentils grown in a tray or dish prior to Norouz,
which represents rebirth. |
| Samanu |
A
sweet pudding made from wheat germ, which represents
affluence. |
| Senjed |
The
dried fruit of the lotus tree, which represents love. |
| Seer |
Garlic, which represents medicine. |
| Seeb |
Apple, which represents beauty and health. |
| Somaq |
Sumac
berries, which represents the colour of the sunrise. |
| Serkeh |
Vinegar,
which represents age and patience. |
| Sonbol |
Hyacinth flower,
which represents the
coming of spring. |
| Sekkeh |
Coin
(usually gold), which represents fortune and prosperity. |
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