A mini-documentary about Nowruz, the celebration of spring and Persian new year
writers: Vahid Khademi and Kimiya Pakravan
Narrators: Erfan Mousavi and Fatemeh Esmailipour
Video Editor and translator: Erfan mousavi
Editor: Nargese Mahdavi
Music: Bayate kurd by Jalale Zolfanon
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Idioms
Nowruz (Persian: نوروز, pronounced [nowˈɾuːz]; lit. 'new day') is the Persian-language term for the day of the Iranian New Year, also known as the Persian New Year. It begins on the spring equinox and marks the beginning of Farvardin, the first month of the Solar Hijri calendar (an Iranian calendar used officially in Iran and Afghanistan). The day is celebrated worldwide by various ethnolinguistic groups and falls on or around the date of 21 March on the Gregorian calendar.
The day of Nowruz has its origins in the Iranian religion of Zoroastrianism and is thus rooted in the traditions of the Iranian peoples; however, it has been celebrated by diverse communities for over 3,000 years in Western Asia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Black Sea Basin, the Balkans, and South Asia.
As the spring equinox, Nowruz marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. The moment at which the Sun crosses the celestial equator and equalizes night and day is calculated exactly every year, and families traditionally gather together to observe the rituals.
Haji Firouz:
Hāji Firuz (Persian: حاجی فیروز) or Khwāje Piruz (Persian: خواجه پیروز) is a fictional character in Iranian folklore who appears in the streets by the beginning of Nowruz. His face is covered in soot, and he is clad in bright red clothes and a felt hat. He dances through the streets while singing and playing a tambourine.
Siyavash:
Siyâvash (Persian: سیاوش, via Middle Persian Syâwaxš, from Avestan Syâvaršan) or Siyâvosh or Siavash (Persian: سياووش), is a major figure in Ferdowsi's epic, the Shahnameh. He was a legendary Iranian prince from the earliest days of the Iranian Empire. A handsome and desirable young man, his name literally means "the one with the black horse" or "black stallion".
Sizdah Bedar:
Sizdah Bedar (Persian: سیزده‌بدر - Sizdabedar), (lit. Thirteen Outdoor) also known as Nature's Day (روز طبیعت - Ruz e Tabi'at), is an Iranian festival held annually on the thirteenth day of Farvardin (same as Aries), the first month of the Iranian calendar, during which people spend time picnicking outdoors. It marks the end of the Nowruz holidays in Iran.
Haft Sin:
Haft-seen (Persian: هفت‌سین) is an arrangement of seven symbolic items whose names start with the letter "س" (pronounced as "seen"), the 15th letter in the Persian alphabet; "haft" (هفت) is Persian for "seven". It is traditionally displayed at Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, which is celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox, marking the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere.