Nowruz, is a traditional ritual in Iranian culture that dates back thousands of years. Despite being old and ancient, the dust of oblivion and obsolescence has not settled on its face and it is still a messenger of happiness, freshness and revitalization.
The mystery of the longevity of Nowruz is in this very message of happiness and revitalization, which is intertwined with nature and the human spirit, keeping this glorious tradition alive.
Nowruz is the beginning of Spring and the revival of nature. Since humans innately enjoy the essence of freshness, Spring and its refreshed nature is an inspirational source of joy and revival for humans.
The beauty and charm of Nowruz and the arrival of Spring have always been appreciated and welcomed by Iranians and have left a prominent mark in Persian culture, poetry and literature.
The message and inspiration of Nowruz has been the subject of attention among the literary greats in Persian history. It can be said that all the Persian-speaking poets and writers have reflected upon Nowruz and the beginning of Spring, and interpreted its meaning in their writings and poems.
Wikimedia CommonsIn the story of Siavash in the Shahnameh, the great and famous poet of Tus, Hakim Ferdowsi wrote:
May your luck be victorious in every moment of the year,
And your days be joyous like Nowruz
In this statement, in the form of a wish, Nowruz has been used as a symbol of good fortune and happiness extended to all the days of the year and a person's life. It has been used as an allegory to wish happiness upon others.
Sheikh Saadi Shirazi, one of the most notable poets of Persian literature, also looked at Nowruz from this point of view and said:
The morning wind rise with the smell of Nowruz
May it bring victorious fortune to my friends
May you be blessed this year and every year
May you be blessed this day and every day.
Saadi's view of Nowruz is similar to Ferdowsi's, and this day, as an auspicious and blessed day, has become a wish for all the days of a person's life.
In Diwan-e Shams, Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi has an epistemological and theological view of Nowruz and considers Nowruz as a sign of God's verses, in fact a sign of God's existence. In his poems, which started with the line -- drunkenness, love, youth and our friends/ that comes with the new days of Spring and Aries -- he acknowledges that the season of Spring and the revival of nature is from the Almighty and says:
The basil and the tulips shaping as bowls
from whom is this gift but from God
In the continuation of this poem, he says in another verse:
Hyacinth whispered in the ear of a flower and said,
May the shadow of God never leave us
Sheikh Saadi also expressed the same epistemological view in the opening verse of a beautiful ghazal, where he considers Nowruz to be created by the God of the worlds and says:
My morning rose from the east, the wind of Nowruz came from the right side
My mind and nature were amazed by the creations of the Lord of the worlds
The inspiration of Nowruz and the revival of nature in Spring contributing towards the inner renewal of man, and the lessons learned from this inspiring and meaningful event of nature, is eloquently reflected in Hafez Shirazi's poetry. The brightest star of Persian poetry, Shirazi says in one of his beautiful ghazals:
The pleasant smell of Nowruz breeze is coming from the alley of my friend
If you ask for help from this wind, it will light up your heart
Blow away the dust of sadness in the desert
And come to garden to learn singing from a nightingale
In this poem, Hafez calls upon people to imitate the rebirth of nature in Spring and remove the dust of sadness from themselves, inviting them to light the bright lamp in their hearts and souls.
Even in Amir Khosrow Dehlavi's poem, Nowruz is the reason and excuse for refreshing and cleaning the heart -- just as how, with the arrival of Nowruz and the beginning of Spring, nature cleans itself and finds a new life. He says in beautiful verses:
I have not called anyone's name but you
I have not stayed with anyone but you
Eid of Nowruz came and I cleaned my house
Removed everyone except you
Among the other messages of Nowruz in Persian poetry and literature, are the promises of the passing of hard and exhausting days -- in which winter is an allegory of that -- and after every hard and suffering period, happy and joyful days are waiting in a person's life.
CourtesyFor this reason, Nowruz is a messenger of hope for the future and invites people to desire. This understanding and meaning of Nowruz has been beautifully illustrated by Sheikh Saadi Shirazi in the following verses:
Nightingale laments from the parting of Autumn and Spring
I said- ‘don't be sad'
The days of Nowruz, tulips and basil
will come again.
The meanings and interpretations of Nowruz in the above poetical examples, showcase the inspirations and the depth of the meaning and concept of Nowruz from the viewpoint of the great Persian poets.
It displays that Nowruz and the Spring, in addition to the aspect of natural events, also have a theological aspect -- and it is one of the signs of God.
To complete this understanding of Nowruz and the Spring season, it should be said that this natural event is also a reminder of resurrection. Just as nature revives in the spring after the quietus period of winter, man, as a creature created by God, will revive after death.
There is no end to that life. It is eternal. The eternality of man is what gives meaning to the creation and existence of man and makes his life purposeful.
It should be added that some of the customs that are common in Nowruz, such as cleaning and dusting the house, wearing new clothes, seeing and visiting each other, giving gifts and feasts etc, is approved by Islam and such affairs and works are recommended and ordered in the teachings of the Islamic religion, because it strengthens good human relationships and increases friendships and kindness.
As an Iranian, it's a great pleasure for me to know that the traditional customs of Nowruz in Iran are similar to the customs of Bengali Noboborsho in Bangladesh.
Giving gifts to others, especially children, which is one of the main traditions of Nowruz in Iran, is also common in Bangladesh on the celebration of Bengali New Year.
Cooking traditional dishes, including fish and pilaf with vegetables, like Pantha-Ilish of Bangladesh, is another regular custom which is done in Nowruz and in Noboborsho.
The people of the two countries are passionate about cooking and eating delicious food, wearing new and traditional clothes, and meeting each other.
These are some other common rituals of celebration on the first day of the Bengali New Year and Nowruz. In Iran, it is mostly done in homes and in Bangladesh, it is mostly celebrated in parks and public places.
Of course, the cultural and historical commonalities of the people of Iran and Bangladesh are much more than these examples.
Nearly 700-years of practice of the Persian language in the Indian subcontinent and Bangladesh, and the presence of Iranian personalities and dynasties in the history of Bangladesh have made these commonalities a long list.
It is expected that these historical and cultural commonalities will be the basis for the development of relations between the two countries in other fields, especially in economy and trade.
Bangladesh can benefit from the capital and energy industry (like oil and gas) and scientific and industrial technologies of Iran, and Iran can use the garments industry and agricultural products of Bangladesh more than before.
Hoping for more of such friendship and kindness between the two nations and wishing to enjoy every day in the light of inspiration from the message of Nowruz.
Seyed Reza Mir Mohammadi is the Cultural Counselor of the Embassy of Iran in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
