Nowruz resolution was an initiative by Iranian Embassy in the United Nations, cosponsored by Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. It was introduced to the UN General Assembly and India, Albania and Macedonia, then, joined the initiative. It recognized the day as “Global Day of Nowruz”.
Referring to the extent to which Nowruz is celebrated, Sherdoost said that this spans a great geographic expanse from Indian Peninsula to Central Asia, Middle East, Caucasus, the Balkans, the Black Sea region and some other areas.
He also said that the international Nowruz celebration was held in Iran for several years, but then, other countries such as Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan joined the league to host to event. However, the opportunity has been forgotten for a few years, according to Sherdoost.
Dating back to several millennia, Nowruz was celebrated in Iran both before and after Islam, Sherdoost said, adding that the occasion is respected in the Shia religion and is linked with several high-profile historical religious events.
Asked about the role of Nowruz in proximity between Iran and Tajikistan, Sherdoost who used to be Iranian Ambassador to Tajikistan highlighted the significant improvement in Tehran-Dushanbe ties in the early years after the Nowruz resolution was approved in the UN.
He underlined that the fact that Iran hosted the celebration for two consecutive years after international adoption of Nowruz and then Tajikistan and Afghanistan hosted the next, bespeaks the extent to which Nowruz has influenced people with common culture.
The former diplomat also referred to a number of Tajik poets who had used Nowruz as a theme in their poetry, and named people like Layiq ShirAli, Golrokhsar, Farzanah Khojandi and Rustam Vahhab.
Sherdoost also said that he had been watching how different countries in the Nowruz region celebrated it when he was in charge of Al-Huda International Publication which has branches in Central Asia and South Caucasus.
People in Tajikistan, in Badakhshan state in particular, hold magnanimous celebrations in Nowruz, preparing for the event several days before it by cleaning up the homes and making different special foods, according to the former diplomat.
He also described celebrations in Azerbaijan which took place for three days starting off from March 22 every year. In the last Wednesday before Nowruz, girls stay at crossings, keeping in mind their desires, and if they see someone saying words well-matched to their desire, they believe that it’s a sign that their desire would come true.
Sherdoost referred to several field competitions held in Azerbaijan during Nowruz celebrations, like horse riding, fencing, roping, Zoorkhaneh sports, etc.
In Kyrgyzstan, according to Sherdoost, Nowruz is held so a magnificent way that no other national or religious celebration can compete. On the Nowruz day, Kyrgyz people go out and gather in squares and buy or sell things in temporary bazaars.
Nowruz day in Uzbekistan is an official holiday with all the country becoming decorated. In the past, because of a ban on Nowruz by the communist government, people used to go far-away places to celebrate it. But today, although there is no ban, those places have gained special status in celebrating the day and large crowds of people gather in these places in Nowruz.
Sherdoost also noted that Kazakh people light two candles above their homes in the night before Nowruz and clean up their houses. They believe that this saves them from harm and illness in the New Year. They wear new and light-colored cloths in Nowruz and make a special food that is a symbol of saying goodbye to winter and hello to spring.
He said that Kazakh people hold a competition on Nowruz among two groups of women and men; in this competition in which if women win the race, that would be a good omen that the coming year is a good one. But if men win, that would be vice versa.
1424
Follow us on Twitter @irnaenglish
Your Comment