No-Rooz,the biggest celebration of the Year, begins.
Saturday, 14. March 2009, 16:02:22
"1388 for the Islamic count and 2568 for the Persian Kingdom count."
Tradition takes No-Rooz as far back as 15,000 years-before the last ice age. King Jamshid (Yima or Yama of the Indo-Iranian lore) symbolizes the transition of the Indo-Iranians from animal hunting to animal husbandry and a more settled life in human history.Seasons played a vital part then. Everything depended on the four seasons. After a sever winter, the beginning of spring was a great occasion with mother nature rising up in a green robe of colorful flowers and the cattle delivering their young. It was the dawn of abundance. Jamshid symbolizes the person/people who introduced No-Rooz celebrations.
No-Rooz Table :
Every house gets a thorough cleaning almost a month before. Wheat, barley, lentils, and other vegetable seeds are soaked to grow on china plates and round earthenware vessels some ten days in advance, so that the sprouts are three to four inches in height by No-Rooz
Today, the ceremony has been simplified. A table is laid. It has a copy of the sacred book (the Gathas for Zarathushtrians), picture of Zarathushtra (or a Saint's picture by other creeds), a mirror, candles, incense burner, bowl of water with live gold fish, the plates and vessels with green sprouts, flowers, fruits, coins, bread, sugar cone, various grains, fresh, colorfully painted boiled eggs like "Easter eggs," and above all, seven articles with their names beginning in Persian with the letter "S" (seen) or "SH" (sheen).The usual things with "S" are vinegar (serkeh), sumac (somagh), garlic (sir), samanu (consistency of germinating wheat), apple (sib), senjed (sorb), and herbs (sabzi). Those with an initial letter "SH" include wine (sharab), sugar (shakar), syrup (sh�reh), honey (shahd), candy (shirini), milk (sh�r), and rice pudding (shir-berenj). The seven articles are prominently exhibited in small bowls or plates on the table.
The table is laid with a white cloth. White represents spotless purity.
Let me repeat the brief play put up by young members of the Zarathushtrian Assembly to define the significance of the seven plates of "S" and seven plates of "SH." The youngsters, dressed in tune with what they represent, tell us by themselves their own significance. Those with "S" inform us:
First Plate: I am "Serkeh," the vinegar. I am sour but I am a good preservative. I add taste to the things you want to preserve and relish. I symbolize tasty preservation.
Second Plate: I am "Sumac," exotic in my own way, I make your favorite kabobs have a tangy taste, a taste you relish. I symbolize taste.
Third Plate: I am "Sir," garlic. Some may not like my aroma and others love it. I lower blood pressure. I pacify. I symbolize peace.
Fourth Plate: I am "Samanu," a sweetish paste, a kind of "halwa," made from germinating wheat. I symbolize the sprouting spring, the time for happy growth.
Fifth Plate: I am "Sib," apple. I symbolize the fruits of our world, both literally and allegorically.
Sixth Plate: I am "Senjed," the tasteless berry of the sorb tree. I am the fruit of a tree which provides shade in summer. I symbolize the shelter and security you need when you want a rest.
Seventh Plate: I am "Sabzi," fresh green herbs. I come from green fields. I symbolize prosperity.
The copy of the Gathas symbolizes guidance for a good life. The picture of Asho Zarathushtra reminds us of the author of the Gathas, the founder of the Good Religion and the Conveyer of the Divine Message. The mirror reflects our past and shows us our present so that we thoughtfully plan our future. The candles are light, warmth, and energy to lead a righteous life that would, in turn, radiate light, give warmth, and provide energy for others. The incense burner gives the fragrance we need to meditate, pray to God, and ask for help and guidance. The gold fish symbolizes a happy life, full of activity and movement. The plates of green sprouts represent creativity and productivity, and so do the colorfully painted eggs.As you see, the whole table is beautifully laid. It symbolizes the Message and the Messenger, light, reflection, warmth, life, love, joy, production, prosperity, and nature. It is, in fact, a very elaborate thanksgiving table for all the good and beautiful things bestowed by God.
Family members, all dressed in their best, sit around the table and eagerly await the announcement of the exact time of vernal equinox over radio or television. The head of the family recites the No-Rooz prayers, and after the time is announced, each member kisses the other and wishes a Happy No-Rooz. Elders give gifts to younger members. Next the rounds of visits to neighbors, relatives, and friends begin. Each visit is reciprocated.
The festivity continues for 12 days, and on the 13th morning, the mass picnic to countryside begins. It is called "Sizdeh-Bedar," meaning "thirteen-in-the-outdoors." Cities and villages turn into ghost towns with almost all the inhabitants gone to enjoy the day in woods and mountains along stream and riversides.
I know some of you have already signed this but for all those who have not Please sign the online petition for No-Rooz :
http://www.petitiononline.com/Norouz/ Thank you
Happy New year The start Of spring to you all My friend's And Angel's
God bless you all :Happy:
http://www.soulofeast.com/contents/discover-iran/culture-customs/general-customs.php
More info here : http://www.iranchamber.com/culture/articles/norooz_zarathushtrian_new_year.php
http://www.iranchamber.com/culture/articles/norooz_iranian_new_year.php
WIDGETIZE
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daxonmacs # 14. March 2009, 16:17
I was talking to an Iranian friend of mine, called Ali.
He said Noroz is now 9858, that the year 2858 is the year of the King.
Shall i babyslap him? Or is he right?
Cσησя Mμяρнỵ # 14. March 2009, 16:19
Nice post
Léazz # 14. March 2009, 16:30
night wolf # 14. March 2009, 16:34
Ammm ... well according to my post here it's more than 15,000 years Old
No need to babyslap him
O.K here we go
Avestan and later scriptures show that Zarathushtra improved, as early as 1725 BCE, the old Indo-Iranian calendar. The prevailing calendar was luni-solar. The lunar year is of 354 days. An intercalation of one month after every thirty months kept the calendar almost in line with the seasons. Zarathushtra, the Founder of the Good Religion, himself an astronomer, founded an observatory and he reformed the calendar by introducing an eleven-day intercalary period to make it into a luni-solar year of 365 days, 5 hours and a fraction.
Later in the post-Gathic period, the year was made solely a solar year with each month of thirty days. An intercalation of five days was, and a further addition of one day every four years, was introduced to make the year 365 days, 5 hours, and a fraction. Still later, the calendar was further corrected to be a purely solar year of 365 days 5 hr 48 min 45.5 sec. The year began precisely with the vernal equinox every time and therefore, there was no particular need of adding one day every four years and there was no need of a leap year. This was [and still is] the best and most correct calendar produced that far.
Some 12 centuries later, in 487 BCE, Darius the Great of the Achaemenian dynasty (700 to 330 BCE) celebrated the No-Rooz at his newly built Persepolis in Iran. A recent research shows that it was a very special occasion. On that day, the first rays of the rising sun fell on the observatory in the great hall of audience at 06-30 a.m., an event that repeats itself once every 1400-1 years. It also happened to coincide with the Babylonian and Jewish new years. It was, therefore, a highly auspicious occasion for the ancient peoples. The Persepolis was the place, the Achaemenian king received, on No-Rooz, his peoples from all over the vast empire. The walls of the great royal palace depict the scenes of the celebrations.
We know the Parthians (250 BCE to 224 CE) celebrated the occasion but we do not know the details. It should have, more or less, followed the Achaemenian pattern. During the Sassanian time (224 to 652 CE), preparations began at least 25 days before No-Rooz. Twelve pillars of mud bricks, each dedicated to one month of the year, were erected in the royal court. Various vegetable seeds-wheat, barley, lentils, beans, and others-were sown on top of the pillars. They grew into luxurious greens by the New Year Day.
The great king held his public audience and the High Priest of the empire was the first to greet him. Government officials followed next. Each person offered a gift and received a present. The audience lasted for five days, each day for the people of a certain profession. Then on the sixth day, called the Greater No-Rooz, the king held his special audience. He received members of the Royal family and courtiers. Also a general amnesty was declared for convicts of minor crimes. The pillars were removed on the 16th day and the festival came to a close. The occasion was celebrated, on a lower level, by all peoples throughout the empire.
Since then, the peoples of the Iranian culture, whether Zartoshtis, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Baha'is, or others, have, under Arab, Turk, Mongol, and Iranian rulers, celebrated No-Rooz precisely at the time of vernal equinox, the first day of the first month, on about March 21.
http://www.crystalinks.com/noruz.html
so it's "1388 for the Islamic count and 2568 for the Persian Kingdom count." but we just go with the 1388 these days
Now you can Kick his ass
night wolf # 14. March 2009, 16:36
Dacotah # 14. March 2009, 16:42
night wolf # 14. March 2009, 16:45
guys dont forget to sign http://www.petitiononline.com/Norouz/
if you haven't done it before
I have to go for now ... post and i will answer and reply later
Léazz # 14. March 2009, 16:46
Cσησя Mμяρнỵ # 14. March 2009, 16:51
Angeliki # 14. March 2009, 17:16
what an amazing time for families and friends to share!!!!! thank you very much for the update Amir!
I wish you Nadiya,
DeNiro,your brother
and lovely sister,
all the best, Happy New Year and many Happy Returns!!
Does that mean I will not find our special Private Messages every morning waiting for me
for the next 12 days ??
Please stay in touch! I will miss you to pieces ...
I
Casey² # 14. March 2009, 17:16
daxonmacs # 14. March 2009, 17:34
Originally posted by Amir:
You bet, the dude gave me wrong numbers.
Cσησя Mμяρнỵ # 14. March 2009, 17:48
daxonmacs # 14. March 2009, 17:52
Cσησя Mμяρнỵ # 14. March 2009, 17:54
daxonmacs # 14. March 2009, 18:00
Cσησя Mμяρнỵ # 14. March 2009, 18:03
daxonmacs # 14. March 2009, 18:28
Cσησя Mμяρнỵ # 14. March 2009, 18:31
daxonmacs # 14. March 2009, 18:37
daxonmacs # 14. March 2009, 18:37
Cσησя Mμяρнỵ # 14. March 2009, 18:39
daxonmacs # 14. March 2009, 18:42
Cσησя Mμяρнỵ # 14. March 2009, 18:44
daxonmacs # 14. March 2009, 18:55
Cσησя Mμяρнỵ # 14. March 2009, 18:57
daxonmacs # 14. March 2009, 18:58
Cσησя Mμяρнỵ # 14. March 2009, 19:01
night wolf # 14. March 2009, 20:08
Linkin Park are headlining Sonisphere!!! ?? WTH!!??
Hay Angeliki
And ThanX
K.C
Hay Conor!! dont distract DaX ! Let him Kick Ali's Ass!!
Cσησя Mμяρнỵ # 14. March 2009, 20:12
night wolf # 14. March 2009, 20:14
daxonmacs # 14. March 2009, 20:20
Cσησя Mμяρнỵ # 14. March 2009, 20:21
daxonmacs # 14. March 2009, 20:24
See you later guys
Angeliki # 14. March 2009, 20:29
I hope the come is slow,smooth and sweet!
one more celebration with fireworks
Cσησя Mμяρнỵ # 14. March 2009, 20:29
night wolf # 14. March 2009, 20:29
O.K DaX stop by Later
Cσησя Mμяρнỵ # 14. March 2009, 20:32
Henry # 14. March 2009, 23:34
Cσησя Mμяρнỵ # 14. March 2009, 23:37
Henry # 14. March 2009, 23:40
Henry # 14. March 2009, 23:40
The food Amir...YUM!!
Waaaahooooo! The festivities begin!
Henry # 14. March 2009, 23:45
EDIT:
I'm onto it....It begins today!
Cσησя Mμяρнỵ # 14. March 2009, 23:49
Henry # 14. March 2009, 23:51
Cσησя Mμяρнỵ # 14. March 2009, 23:53
Henry # 14. March 2009, 23:58
I'll try and do this post justice buddy. Such a wicked post this one, amazing!
....on to it!
Henry # 15. March 2009, 00:00
Cσησя Mμяρнỵ # 15. March 2009, 00:07
kalynka # 15. March 2009, 00:14