Iranians Celebrate Persian New Year
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The new Iranian year began in the wee hours of Saturday coincident with the Spring Equinox, with Iranians starting to celebrate Nowruz, the first day of spring and the oldest festival in the Persian calendar.
Iranians inside and outside the country have started to celebrate the ancient festivities of Nowruz.
From time immemorial, Iranians from all walks of life enthusiastically celebrate the Nowruz, irrespective of their age, language, gender, race, ethnicity, or social status.
The word Nowruz itself literally means "new day" in the Persian language and the festivity marks the beginning of the solar year as well as the new year on the Iranian national calendars, and has fallen on March 21 this year.
The Nowruz festival celebrates the rebirth of nature. This reawakening symbolizes the triumph of good over the evil forces of darkness, which are represented by winter. Nowruz is the point when the oppressive presence of the cold winter finally begins to recede with the commencement of the lively and hopeful spring.
Nowruz represents much of what Iranian character, history, politics, and religion are all about. For centuries, Persians have applied the Nowruz spirit to every dark challenge that has come their way. This spirit has made Nowruz far more than just a new year celebration over the course of history.
The festivities marking Nowruz is also spreading across the world.
In 2010, the UN General Assembly established March 21 as the International Day of Nowruz. The UN also celebrates the International Day of Happiness.
The international Nowruz Day was proclaimed at the initiative of several countries that share this holiday, including Iran, Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan.
