26 March 2023: Did you know the United Nations recognizes Nowruz as an international holiday? What is Nowruz ? Where is it celebrated and how ? Read to know more.
The Persian New Year, also known as Nowroz or Navroz, was celebrated by Parsis all around the world with a Google Doodle. The participatory artwork uses spring flowers including tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, and bee orchids to depict the theme because the festival ushers in the start of the spring season.
"As winter fades, and the northern hemisphere begins to thaw, it's time to celebrate Nowruz. Today's Doodle highlights this ancient holiday that marks the beginning of spring. More than 300 million people gather around the world on this day each year to celebrate the season of rebirth." Google wrote.
The Google Doodle page also said that the event has been designated as an international holiday by the UN because it is observed by more than 300 million people worldwide.
"Did you know the United Nations recognizes Nowruz as an international holiday? That’s because families celebrate this joyful festival across the Middle East, the South Caucasus, the Black Sea Basin, and Northern, Western, Central, and South Asia. Happy Nowruz to all who celebrate! May your new year be filled with love, peace, and renewed hope."
According to folklore, the terms "nav" and "roz" are the origin of the word "navroz." In Persian, "Nav" means "new," and "Roz" means "day," which literally translates to "new day." As a result, it signifies the start of the New Year in many civilizations.
Being the start of the Persian calendar, the Parsi community has continued to celebrate the Parsi New Year with great excitement all over the world. It is thought that Iranians and Zorastian have done so for the previous 3,000 years.
Devotees relish exquisite foods made especially for this occasion, such as moong dal and pulav. Gathering around the table with the entire family in a common area decorated with items representing riches, purity, and brightness is a significant custom that is specifically practiced on this day.
Haft-Sin is one of the traditions of Nowruz and has a meaning behind it. the tradition of putting 7 symbolic objects together whose names commence with S. Other symbolic items accompany these 7 objects and together, they create a Haft-sin. In the past, people used to put all of these items on a mantel or a designed fabric similar to a tablecloth, which they call it “Sofreh”. That’s the reason why Haft-Sin is generally referred to as “Sofreh Haft-Sin”
Photo by Pouya Jabbarisani on Unsplash
1 | Sabzeh | Sabzeh (wheat, barley, or lentil sprouts): Symbolizing rebirth and growth. |
2 | Samanu | Samanu (sweet pudding made from wheat germ): Symbolizing sweetness and fertility. |
3 | Senjed | Senjed (dried oleaster fruit): Symbolizing love. |
4 | Seer | Seer (garlic): Symbolizing medicine and health. |
5 | Seeb | Seeb (apple): Symbolizing beauty and health. |
6 | Somagh | Somagh (sumac): Symbolizing the sunrise and new beginnings. |
7 | Serkeh | Serkeh (vinegar): Symbolizing age and patience. |
Women traditionally wear the Gara Saree for the colorful celebration of Navroz, while males typically dress in their best and newest attire. Nonetheless, their traditional attire consists of a long muslin shirt, sometimes referred to as a sudra or Kusti, loose cotton pants, a waistcoat made from white material, and a skull cap.
Google Doodles, the momentary alterations to the company's logo that appear on its homepage layouts, honour a variety of occasions such as holidays, festivals, and the lives of notable scientists, artists, and inventors. In order to draw attention to other doodles that have previously been used, Google also used the occasion to feature sections like "this doodle's reach" and "this day in history."