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The United Nations officially recognized the “International Day of Navroz” with the adoption of UN
Resolution 64/253 on 18th Feb., 2010 and retrieved on 26th Feb., 2020.

EID-E-NAVROZ
By: Mumtaz Ali Tajddin S. Ali mumtaztajddin@yahoo.com

Navroz is a Persian word, meaning new day of the year. The Arabs pronounced it as Niruz or Nairuz.
The Sogdians called it Nau-Sard (new-year), and also is called Nishat Afroz Jashan in Iran. It is a
spring festival, beginning at the first day of the Persian solar year, corresponding to the vernal
equinox and the entry of the sun into the sign of Aries, and continued until the 6th day of the
month. The last day was known as the Great New Year’s Day (al-Niruz al-Akbar).

On the day of Navroz, the sun completes its cycle of passing through the twelve Celestial Stations,
and enters the first one which is known as haml. A celestial station is known in Arabic as buruj.
The names of the twelve celestial stations through which the celestial bodies (planets) annually
pass are given below along with the Zodiac signs:-

1 Haml Ram Aries. 31 days
2 Thaur Bull Taurus. 31 days
3 Jauz Twins Cemini. 31 days
4 Sarthan Crab Cancer. 31 days
5 Asad Lion Leo. 31 days
6 Sumbula Virgin Virgo. 31 days
7 Mizan Balance Libra. 30 days
8 Aqrab Scorpion Scorpio. 30 days
9 Quas Archer Sagittarius. 30 days
10 Jadi Goat Capricorn. 30 days
11 Dalv Water-bearer Aquarius. 30 days
12 Huth Fishes Pisces. 29¼ days

The days when the sun completes its stay in the last celestial station, i.e. Huth and enters the first celestial station, i.e. Haml, this day falls on 21st March, and is known as Eid-e-Navroz.

The Koran says: “Factually the number of months in the eyes of God, in the Book of God from the day He created earth and heaven are twelve.” (9:36)

The astrologers and astronomers have divided the year into twelve parts, taking into account the rotation of the earth and the sun and each such part is known as the celestial station. After the entry of the sun in the celestial station (haml), it passes through all the other stations mentioned above and also the durations as stated above. It takes the sun 365 days and nights, 5 hours, 28 minutes and 50 seconds to complete full circuit and to return to the celestial station (haml). This entry of the sun is known as the Tahweel-e-Shams (Sun’s entry). The first day of the sun’s entry in the celestial station (haml) falls on 21st March, and is a new year’s day, also Eid-e-Navroz.

Considerable importance is attached to this cheerful day, for it was on this day that the sun shone brightly from the celestial station (haml). On this day, God created earth, universe and cold winds started to blow and earth became fertile to bear trees, vegetables and fruits, and other necessities for mankind.

In 3266 B.C. reigned the first king of Iran, called Kumers. He calculated the days and the seasons in a year and he also determined the first day of the sun in the celestial station (haml). The dates and the years came to be accounted since then, and he ordered all the intellectuals to pronounce and to proclaim importance of that day. About hundred years after Kumers, Jamshed became the king of Iran, and he called this day Navroz. He celebrated his coronation on this day and observed the day as a festival of Eid.

Tabari (5:267) relates from Ibn Abbas that the Israelites in one of the town of Syria were afflicted by the epidemic of plague. They were 4000 people who left their town fleeing the plague. They said, “Let us go to a land which is free from death.” They arrived at Dawardan near Wasit in Iraq. As they reached the place, God said to them, “Die!.” They were so badly afflicted by a calamity that death struck them. After a long time, the Prophet Ezekiel (or Hizqil bin Buzi) passed by their corpses, which had been dismembered and the bones were scattered by beasts and birds. The Prophet prayed to his Lord to bring them back to life. According to Tafsir-i Anwar al-Bayan (Bawnagar, 1901, p. 183), “God ordered the Prophet to sprinkle water on the bones, which he did and the dead restored to life.” The Koran describes the event in these words: “Have you not considered those who went forth from their homes in the thousands for fear of death? God said to them: ‘Die.’ Then He gave them life” (2:243). The day when they were brought back to life was the Navroz.

Muhammad Bakir Majlisi quotes a number of traditions from the Imam in the 14th volume of his Bihar al-Anwar, who reports a tradition related by Moalla bin Khunais that Imam Jafar Sadik said: “It was on Navroz that Adam was created, that God made a covenant with the souls, that Abraham destroyed pagan’s idols, that the Prophet of Islam received first revelation, that the Prophet took Ali on his shoulders to smash 360 idols in Mecca, and most important of all, that he
declared Ali as his legitimate successor.”

Navroz was marked in Damascus by exchange of gifts during the period of the Umayyads. Yaqubi (2:366) writes that caliph Umar II abolished the Navroz and Mihrjan gifts through a royal decree he issued. Later, caliph Yazid II re-introduced in the state.

The Abbasid caliphs gave proper importance to this day. Caliph Mansur declared this day as Eid and greetings were exchanged in the court to celebrate Eid-e-Navroz. The people during the Abbasid period rose early in the morning and went to the wells or streams, drew water in a vase and poured it over themselves. Tabari (3:2163) writes that they also spattered water on each other. In the time of caliph Mutawakkil, the Navroz was celebrated with great pomp. He is said to have struck five million dhirams, painted in various colors and showered them upon his officials. Masked actors (ashab al-samaja) appeared before the caliph, who flung coins to them and distributed roses fashioned from red amber. Ibn Zubayr reports that at one Navroz, the play of samaja was arranged for the caliph Mutadid, which cost 13,000 dinars. A variety of sweet dishes, such as sabuniyya and lawzinaj were cooked, and the people then distributed them to one another. Under caliph Mutawakkil, according to Tabari (3:1448), the poet Buhturi says: “the Navroz day has again become same as was instituted by Ardasher.

Not unlike the Persian kings, the Abbasid caliphs used to appear in their chambers, clad in gorgeous attire, in order to receive the presents personally.” It was also marked by an exchange of gifts. Tanakhi (d. 994) writes in his Nishwar al-Muhadara (8:145) that caliph Mutawakkil sat in his chamber from morning to the evening, accepting gifts offered to him by the high officials and other dignitaries.

In Baghdad, the commonalty, on this festive occasion, illuminated their houses with cotton pods (habb al-qutn) and clay censers (al-majamir al-tin), vide Nishwar al-Muhadara (1:143). The royal houses, at the same time, would be illuminated with pods of costly materials, such as zahri cloth (light cloths) soaked in oil of balsam (dahn al-balsan), and other fragrant and expensive oils were burned in censers of stone (al-majamir al-biram).

During the six days of Navroz festival, the people in Baghdad gathered in streets and lit fires. Tabari (3:2163) writes that in 897, caliph Mutadid tried to prevent the unrestrained rejoicing in the streets during summer weather, but after two days he was obliged to let public resume their customary practice. Ibn Hawkal (d. 977) writes that in the 10th century in Jibal, the people celebrated Navroz festival for seven consecutive days with much enthusiasm and gaiety. They cooked a number of delicious dishes and donned elaborate costumes and spent lot of money on the festivities. They also indulged in various sports, organized singing parties, and feasted even on the roofs of their buildings.

Prof, Triton quotes a passage in Sketches of Life under the Caliphs (MW, LXII, 1972, p. 145) from an unpublished text of Hilal al-Sabi’s Kitab al-Hafawat about the Navroz during the Abbasid period at Baghdad. Sabit notes that the people in Baghdad hired a special cook to work during night to have dishes fresh in morning and gave parties for relatives and friends, at which they served green melons, plums, peaches and dates.

Women made a point of buying perfumes for the day, and tortoises were brought in to drive devils from the house. Eggs were dyed in various colors. To sprinkle perfume on a man and tread seven times on him was a means of driving away evil eye, laziness and fever. Antimony or rue was used to improve the sight during coming year; it was a good day for taking medicine. Respectable people hit each other with water-skins or threw water about in their houses or gardens, while common folk did this in the streets. Makrizi writes in his Khitat that the Abbasid caliph Mutawwakil struck five million dhirams painted in various colors, red, yellow and black, for showering on his officials. Masked actors too appeared before ruler who flung coins at them.

Navroz was celebrated also in Syria and Egypt under the Fatimids, vide Makrizi’s al-Khitat (4:241-2). Its celebration in Cairo appears to have been well established at the time of the Fatimid conquest of Egypt. On that occasion, the Imam rode to the Azhar mosque under a golden parasol (mizalla mudhahhaba), carrying the staff (qadib), wearing white turban and cowl (taylasan), and girded with a sword. He was accompanied by five thousand men in a procession. The Imam also presented costumes with siglaton robes. A grand banquet was then followed. The chief steward (sahib al-ma’ida) and his servants carried trays from palace, containing one hundred collections of wide bowls covered by silk round pieces, on top of which were mats scented with a light musk (misk fatih). When the banquet was over, each person took what was leftover “for honor and blessing” (al-sharaf walbaraka). Prince Tamim (948-984), the eldest son of Imam al-Muizz was one of the renowned poets. In his Diwan (ed. M.M. al-A’zami, Cairo, 1957), he eulogizes the Imam that:-

If Navroz is a festival of joy and delight,
it is through your light that it has come to be so

In Egypt, the festival of Navroz was celebrated in great fervor. It must be known that Egypt under the Fatimid remained largely a Sunni country and Ismailism won only a limited following among the population. Cairo alone housed a large Sunni population. When Imam al-Muizz found that the general Muslims took less interest publicly in the festival, he prohibited public festivities on Navroz in 974. Thus, the celebration first moved to the streets of Cairo, to the Azhar, and, finally, to the palace itself. These changes show in part how a popular celebration moved progressively close to the Ismaili Centre of Cairo and ultimately was assimilated into the ceremonial of the court. The general population probably did not desist from its customary practices on the festival, but the ceremony that took place at court was stripped of all popular elements.

The Ottoman Turks had adopted it for the feast which ended the fast, which was called the Feast of Sugar (shekerbairami). It was originally held at summer solstice, on the 21st June, but gradually, in consequence of the difficulty of correcting the calendar, it was shifted towards spring equinox, and the reform of Jalaluddin Malik Shah fixed it on the 21st March, the date which the Nauruz-i Sultani has kept to the present.

The Navroz was also celebrated in India during the period of the Mughal Empire. On the occasion of Navroz, the most picturesque ceremony in the court was the weighing of Emperor Akbar against seven kinds of grain, coral and gold. Emperor Akbar and Jhangir commemorated with great splendor, but Aurangzeb abolished it. He substituted for Navroz another imperial feast, which was to begin in the month of Ramadan and to continue up to the Eid al-Fitr. This was called as Nishat Afroz Jashan.

But the later Mughal emperors resorted the Navroz festival celebrated for nine days. On the first day, the emperor gave away a gold chain of an elephant in alms and sit on the weighing scale. In the court, he occupied the peacock throne, and pearls and rubies were scattered among those present. Outside court, the procession of the elephants and horses passed before the emperor. The nobles presented gifts. On one occasion, Shams ad-Dawla Khan-i Dauran Mansur Jang offered emperor Muhammad Shah, one lac of rupees and a garland of pearls worth of twenty-five thousands of rupees each. The emperor on his part honored them with the khilats. Next day, the emperor again took his seat on the throne and the nobles again offered presents who missed on the first day. On the third day again the emperor took his seat on the throne and witnessed dance and music party. Thus, during these nine days all sorts of refreshing festivities were organized and gifts were exchanged.

Navroz is seen to be celebrated by a number of Shi’ites and the Sufis. The Bektashi Sufi order in present day in Turkey, for instance, celebrate Navroz (pronounced nevruz in Turkish) not because of the new year it is to herald, but to commemorate the birthday of Imam Ali bin Abu Talib, also in his capacity as the symbolic founder of most Sufi orders throughout Islamic history. The Iranian poet Sheikh Saadi (1210-1291) wrote, “Awaken, the morning Navroz breeze is showering the garden with flowers.” Navroz is observed among the Turks of Anatolia at the time of the equinox, on the ninth day of March.
The eight Ismaili Imams flourished in Alamut in Iran for about 171 years, then the eighteen Imams resided in different villages in post-Alamut period for about 582 years. Iran is the original home of Navroz celebration, and it is most probable that the Iranian Ismailis continued to celebrate Navroz with other Shi’ites. Thence, it took its root in Syria, Central Asia and India.

Today the essence of Navroz is captured in its nation-wide celebrations which are spread over more than two weeks of holidays when all Iranians, irrespective of their religion, ethnic origins or age participate in festivities. It commences from the last Wednesday of the year popularly called Chahar-shambeh suri until the thirteenth day called sizdah-bedar after the New Year. The perpetual bringers of the tidings of New Year are the clowns of the traditional folk theatre called Haji Firuz. Appareled in red jester-like satin costumes, with faces blackened by charcoal, and playing a tambourine, several persons dressed as Haji Firuz dance through the torchlit streets during the Navroz period singing and dancing to the rhythm of the tambourine, from street to street and town to town, to the delight of all. In some province of Iran, starting a month before Navroz, special troupes of singer move from province to province singing special songs heralding the joyous coming of the New Year.

On New Year’s Eve, the exact second of the change of the old to the New Year, known as Mowqey-e-tahwil-e-sa’l is astrologically calculated and noted. To await this moment, all family members draped in new clothes and finery must be together. For this occasion, the house is full of the heavy scent of burning of aloe-wood and other fragrant incenses. Typical Iranian music emanating from the tar (a lute with long neck and six springs), santur (dulcimer played with two sticks) and ney (reed flute) entertains the guests. Sugar-plums, pistachio-nuts, almonds and takhmeh (melon seeds) are distributed to all eagerly awaiting the New Year. As the chimes of the clock broadcast over the radio or television, toll out the old year, recitation of Koranic verses and special prayers usher in the new one. At this moment, family members approach each other, embrace, kiss and congratulate one another with greetings of Eid-e-shoma Mubarak, Sa’l-e-shoma Mubarak (may your Eid and New Year be blessed), Tabrik arz Mikonam (accept my New Year wishes). Everyone resolves to bury their differences of the past 12 months and to start afresh. Gifts are exchanged and all gather round the banquet table for a feast.

It is customary to lay on a table a ceremonial display called Sufreye-Nawruz, consisting of a mirror, a copy of the Koran, live goldfish in a bowl, green sprouts of wheat grain and lentils, coloured eggs, and Haft-Sin, which is a large platter filled with seven dishes (haft sin). Each dish bears in haft-sin the name, beginning with the Persian letter sin, which include:-

1. Sib (apples) – symbol of health and beauty.
2. Sinjid (julep) – symbol of wisdom
3. Samanu (wheat pudding) – symbol of strength and justice.
4. Somaq (sumac) – symbol of patience
5. Sirka (vinegar) – symbol of age and patience.
6. Sabzi (greens) – symbol of peace
7. Seer (garlic) – symbol of cleansing body and environment.

The above dishes are placed on a cloth spread on the floor in front of a mirror and candles in company with other items, such as a mirror, a symbol of reflection, boiled colored eggs, a symbol of fertility and goldfish in a bowl, representing life.
The Navroz holidays officially last 13 days when all Iranians visit many friends as possible and exchange Eidy or festive gifts. The first day is reserved for respected elders of the family who in turn return the visit. Everywhere a festive mood prevails; tea, sweetmeats, ajil (dried fruits and nuts), conversation and music flow.

The thirteenth day of Navroz called sizdah bedar (thirteenth out of doors) is traditional spent out in the woods or parks. Every Iranian family leaves home early in the morning, and draped with mats, picnic materials and musical instruments, search pleasant sites. Each family has brought the sprouted wheat and lentils from their Navroz Sufreh, which they will cast away for good luck. It is considered lucky to eat a special thick soup ash, made from noodles on this day. The soup and its accompanying garnish – fried onions, garlic, yoghurt, white cheese, sauce and vinegar – is taken along. At lunch time, meat and an array of vegetable stews to eat with rice, simmered with delicate spices to a rich goodness, are laid out. To round off the substantial meal is an assorted collection of freshly-picked fruits (miveh), grapes, pears, apples and cherries. The thirteenth of Navroz is never complete without young girls tying knots in the grass found in the plains to ensure they will find husbands during the New Year.

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Karachi: March, 2022