What is norouz day?

Answer 1

Norouz is the traditional Iranian new year holiday in Iran, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey, Albania, Georgia, various countries of Central Asia such as Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan, as well as among the Iranian peoples everywhere. As well as being a Zoroastrian holiday, it is also a holy day for adherents of Sufism as well as Bahá'í Faith [1]. In Iran it is also referred to as an Eid festival, although it is not an Islamic feast. For Isma'ilis Navroz celebrates the birthday of Ali (Ali Ibn Talib), and is also celebrated as the new year festival due to the group being of Persian origin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norouz

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Answer 2

Norouz means 'New day'.. No means 'new' and Rouz means 'day'. It is a Persian or Farsi word. Persian new year is named Norouz and we have a huge celebration for Norouz as well which lasts for 2 weeks from March 21 to April 2 or 3. However, Eid is an Arabic word came into Farsi language, which means basically Norouz or new. And we mostly use Eid for Norouz or other religious holidays because it is easier to say.
The Persian new year (Norouz ) is the exact (to the second) transition moment when winter turns to spring in the northern hemisphere. The Jalali persian calendar is the most accurate ever known to mankind.

Answer 3

Norouz (Persian: نوروز‎ , various local pronunciations and spellings) is the traditional Iranian new year holiday in Iran, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Albania, Georgia, various countries of Central Asia such as Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan, as well as among the Iranian peoples in Iraq, Pakistan,Turkey, and everywhere else.

As well as being a Zoroastrian holiday, it is also a holy day for adherents of Sufism as well as Bahá'í Faith.[1] In Iran it is also referred to as an Eid festival, although it is not an Islamic feast. Shia Nizari Ismaili muslims, who trace their origins to Iran, celebrate the festival under the name Navroz. In their religious protocol, Navroz is officially recognized as an Eid, as with Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha, although it involves a distinct set of religious ceremonies.

Norouz marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the Iranian year as well as the beginning of the Bahá'í year.[1] It is celebrated by some communities on March 21st and by others on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox (start of spring), which may occur on March 20th, 21st or 22nd.
The word comes from the Old Persian: nava=new + rəzaŋh=day/daylight, meaning "new day/daylight", and still has the same meaning in the modern Persian (no=new + rouz=day; meaning "new day") [1] [2]


The term Norouz first appeared in Persian records in the second century AD, but it was also an important day during the Achaemenid times (c. 648-330 BC), where kings from different nations under Persian empire used to bring gifts to the emperor (Shahanshah) of Persia on Norouz.[2]


[edit] History and Tradition
Tradition dates Noruz as far back as 15,000 years ago -- before the last ice age. The mythical Persian 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 severe 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 is said to be the person who introduced Noruz celebrations.[3]

Prophet Zoroaster (Zarathushtra) was the architect of the pre-Islamic Iranian cosmology who instituted many feasts, festivals and rituals to pay homage to the seven creations, the holy immortals and Ahura Mazda. The seven most important ones are known as Gahambars, the feasts of obligation. The last and the most elaborate was Noruz, celebrating Ahura Mazda and the Holy Fire at the spring equinox.[4]

Some 12 centuries later, in 487 BC, Darius the Great of the Achaemenian dynasty celebrated the Noruz at his newly built palaces of Persepolis. 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 which 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.[5] It has been suggested that the famous Persepolis complex, or at least the palace of Apadana and the "Hundred Columns Hall", were built for the specific purpose of celebrating Norouz. However, no mention of Norouz exists in Achaemenid inscriptions (See picture).

Later it became the national holiday of Arsacid/Parthian dynastic Empires who ruled Iran (248 BC-224 AD). There are specific references to the celebration of Norouz during the reign Vologases I (51-78 AD), but these include no details.

Extensive records on the celebration of Norouz appear following the accession of Ardashir I of Persia, the founder of the Sassanid dynasty (224-651 AD). Under the Sassanid emperors, Norouz was celebrated as the most important day of the year. Most royal traditions of Norouz such as royal audiences with the public, cash gifts, and the pardoning of prisoners, were established during the Sassanian era and they persisted unchanged until modern times.

Norouz, along with Sadeh (that is celebrated in mid-winter), survived in society following the introduction of Islam in 650 AD. Other celebrations such Gahanbar and Mehragan were eventually side-lined or were only followed by the Zoroastrians, who carried them as far as Turkey. Norouz, however, was most honored even by the early founders of Islam. There are records of the Four Great Caliphs presiding over Norouz celebrations, and it was adopted as the main royal holiday during the Abbasid period.

Following the demise of the Caliphate and the subsequent re-emergence of Persian dynasties such as the Samanids and Buyids, Norouz was elevated to an even more important event. The Buyids revived the ancient traditions of Sasanian times and restored many smaller celebrations that had been eliminated by the Caliphate. Even the Turkish and Mongol invaders did not attempt to abolish Norouz in favor of any other celebration. Thus, Norouz remained as the main celebration in the Persian lands by both the officials and the people.

Omar Khayyam in his Norouznama has written a vivid description of the celebration in ancient Persian.

Answer 4

Celebration of the coming of Spring and the Iranian new year also refers to "earth day" and marks the first day of spring