90and poet Omar Khayyam described
the celebrations vividly in his book
Nowruznama, detailing not only which
gifts should be given, but also the
feasting and suitable blessings for
the new year: “May thy soul flourish;
may thy youth be as the new-grown
grain; may thy horse be puissant,
victorious; thy sword bright and deadly
against foes; thy hawk swift against
its prey; thy every act straight as the
arrow’s shaft.”
Nowruz was celebrated along the
Silk Road, but as trading links declined
(first due to maritime trade and then
the arrival of the railway) so, too, did
shared cultural ties. Small disparate
communities still welcomed the vernal
equinox with spring cleaning, bonfires,
feasting, music, and dance as they
had always done, but by the mid-20th
century it was only in Iran that Nowruz
remained an official holiday in the
calendar. The Soviet Union, which
covered nearly all of the Caucasian
and Central Asian states, had done
away with what it saw as an outdated,
superstitious ritual.NOWRUZ TODAY
Since the fall of the Soviet Union,
however, and the birth of independent
states, Nowruz has been experiencing
a significant revival. Reconnecting
with their heritage, countries from
Albania to Afghanistan, Kosovo to
Kazakhstan have declared it a national
holiday. You’ll also find it celebrated
wherever there are large populations
of Zoroastrians (also known as Parsis)
or expat Iranians, including in Canada,
the US, and India. The festival’s name
has many variations: In Kazakhstan,IMAGES © SHUTTERSTOCK