Persian New Year 2024: Vibrant aspects of Persian culture were used in the Google Doodle. Elaborate floral patterns and classic calligraphy.
The Persian New Year, Nowruz, began on March 19. Google honored the holiday by posting a lovely Doodle on its homepage.
Known as “new day” in Persian, Nowruz falls on the vernal equinox, when day and night are approximately equal in length. It marks the arrival of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and is a symbol of rebirth and renewal.
Vibrant aspects of Persian culture were included in the Google Doodle. There were elaborate flower patterns, antique calligraphy, and symbolic objects on exhibit, such as the Haft-sin table. The Haft-sin is a unique table arrangement with seven things whose names start with the letter “sin” in Farsi, each symbolizing a key idea for the upcoming year.
Once spanning from Egypt and the Balkan Peninsula in the west to Afghanistan and Pakistan in the east, Persia—anchored in modern-day Iran—left behind an enduring cultural legacy that includes this colourful celebration. Despite the fact that Nowruz is 3,500 years old, its adherents think that its teachings—such as making an annual reset, appreciating family, and spending time in nature during a vulnerable period—are more relevant than ever.
The ancient monotheistic faith of Zoroaster, which was established by him in 500 BCE, was the source of the celebration known as Nowruz. The rulers of all the subject nations were called to present presents and pay respects to the monarch at Persepolis, whose ruins are still visible in the Iranian city of Shiraz, during the Persian Empire’s reign (c. 559–331) on the occasion of Nowruz. The monarchs demonstrated to their forefathers that they were doing well, which is still a significant part of the celebration.
The most important Nowruz tradition is the haft-sin. Families get together and arrange seven objects, each for rebirth and revitalization. Typically, these offerings include wheat for luck and rebirth, wheat pudding for strength and power, berries for the sunrise, olives for love, vinegar for patience and age, apples for beauty, and garlic for health.
Pendar Yousefi, an Iranian guest artist, made this doodling.
“I’ve drawn from my own happy childhood memories of Nowruz, which evoke feelings of joy, togetherness, and hope,” Mr. Yousefi said in regards to the doodle. The animal companions, gathering in a courtyard full with flowers to welcome spring beneath the blossoming tree, manage to capture these. The spirit of Nowruz—the hope of rejuvenation and a “new day” ahead—offers optimism even in difficult times. I can just hear the joyous tunes of their antiquated instruments, serving as a reminder of tradition’s tenacity and enduring power.”
When is Nowruz?
Nowruz, the first day of spring, is observed on the vernal equinox when the sun is equally aligned over the Northern and Southern hemispheres due to the earth’s rotation and tilt.
Thus, the precise start of Nowruz differs from nation to nation based on time zones. This year, it happens in Tehran, Iran, at 26 seconds after 6.36 a.m. on March 20 (11:06 p.m. on March 19, EDT). Nowruz is observed on two days in India; this year, March 20 and August 15, according to calculations made using two separate calendars.
In a 2010 decision, the UN proclaimed March 21, the day of the vernal equinox, to be the International Day of Nowruz.
What are Nowruz’s origins?
Since Zoroastrianism is one of the oldest monotheistic religions in the world, it is hard to pinpoint exactly when Nowruz became a holiday. However, many people believe it started about 3,500 years ago. According to ancient writings, the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire, which ruled from 550 to 330 BC, was Persepolis, where Nowruz was observed.
There are multiple myths about Nowruz’s beginnings that center on a specific hero. In one, on the first day of spring, the mythical Persian king Jamshid rode into the sky atop a chariot, leaving spectators on the ground in awe and inspiring them to begin celebrating the day of that ride. According to an alternate account, Jamshid was given the order to fight his twin brother Ahriman, who stood for evil and death and had brought about misfortunes by a Zoroastrian god. As a result of Jamshid’s victory over Ahriman, wealth was restored to the region he oversaw.
How Nowruz is changing
In recent years, Nowruz festivities in Iran have been more austere amid economic difficulties and sharp inflation. Political conflicts between conservative authorities and young liberals in Iran have also persisted, and the country’s annual public dances marking Nowruz have turned into a symbol of resistance in a place where conservatives discourage women from dancing with males.
Since the ancient festival of Nowruz is based on an appreciation of and connection with nature, its participants have also grown more concerned about how climate change may disrupt the holiday. The head of San Francisco State University’s Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies, Persis Karim, told the BBC last month that “there are rising temperatures, lack of water, and the depletion of natural species everywhere you look.” “Nowruz is under threat in certain ways, and this threat may be related to our growing awareness of our planet’s vulnerability and our role in it.”
Nowruz is becoming more and more popular all over the world, despite—possibly even more importantly—the problems the festival faces these days. Nowruz was added to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2009.
During Nowruz in 2017, then-UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova stated, “Nowruz is a reminder of the power of culture and heritage to build resilient and sustainable societies at a time when violent extremism seeks to destroy diversity and freedoms.”
But the way that people have celebrated Nowruz for thousands of years is changing due to climate change, and this indisputable proof may serve as a catalyst to get people to pay attention. “Everywhere you look, there are rising temperatures, a lack of water, and the depletion of natural species,” Karim stated. “Blossoms are opening much earlier. The fact that Nowruz is in danger these days may have to do with our growing awareness of the planet’s vulnerability and our role in it.”
The life-affirming aspect of the festival customs is perhaps what matters most to Nowruz celebrants in an era when worries about things like social isolation, global politics, and climate change may be debilitating.
Nowruz in 2024 may provide its celebrants a brief period of tranquility as the holiday begins in the midst of widespread turmoil around the world.
