Allah'u'Abha Friends:
I hope your having a good feast. I just thought you would find interesting.
Always and Lovingly In His Service,
Your Beloved Baha'i Sister Lara xoxo
Naw-Ruz: The Bahá'í New Year
Dr. John Walbridge
Naw-Ruz (`New Day') is the Bahá'í and Iranian new year, which occurs on the
date of the vernal equinox, about 21 March. It is one of the nine Bahá'í holy
days on which work is suspended.
The Iranian Naw-Ruz
Naw-Ruz is the first day of Farvardin, the first month of the Iranian solar
year. Since ancient times it has been the great national holiday of Iran, the
only holiday celebrated by more than one religious group.
The origins of Naw-Ruz are unknown but it obviously began as a pastoral
fertility festival. Legend attributes its foundation to the mythical
antediluvian king Jamshid. Naw-Ruz and ihrajan, the corresponding festival of
the autumnal equinox in September, are the two great annual festivals of
Zoroastrianism. Originally a sombre festival dedicated to the spirits of the
dead was held for five days ten days before Naw-Ruz, followed by a further five
days corresponding to the Bahá'í Ayyam-i-Ha. Later Naw-Ruz gradually became a
secular holiday and as such it continued to be observed even after the triumph
of Islam in Iran. Muslim kings in Iran, like their Zoroastrian predecessors,
celebrated Naw-Ruz with great magnificence. As late as the nineteenth century
Naw-Ruz was the only day the Shah would dine with other people.
Shi`i traditions attributed to the Imams endorsed the observance of Naw-Ruz,
which was, it was said, the day of many events of great religious significance,
among them God's first covenant with mankind, the first rising of the sun, the
grounding of Noah's ark on Ararat, Gabriel's first appearance to Muhammad, the
destruction of the idols in the Ka`bih by `Alí, Muhammad's appointment of `Ali
as His successor, the appearance of the Qa'im, and the final triumph of the
Qa'im over the Antichrist. Such traditions echoed similar accounts of Naw-Ruz
found in Zoroastrian literature.
Naw-Ruz is celebrated rather like the Christian Easter, with many symbols
indicating spring and renewal. A week or so before the holiday lentils are
placed in a dish to sprout into a mass of green blades. On the day of Naw-Ruz
the family gathers in new or freshly cleaned clothes. The table is decorated
with fruit, cakes, coloured eggs and other treats, as well as symbolic objects
such as a holy book and a mirror. Among the best known customs of Naw-Ruz is
the haft-sin -- the `seven S's'. These are seven objects beginning -- in
Persian -- with the letter `S', such as hyacinths, apples, lilies, silver
coins, garlic, vinegar and rue, decoratively arranged on a table. A great deal
of time is spent exchanging visits with friends and relations. The celebrations
end on the thirteenth day of Naw-Ruz with a picnic in the country. The sprouted
lentils are thrown into running water, carrying away the bad luck of the
previous year.
Naw-Ruz is observed wherever Iranian culture has penetrated, notably among the
Zoroastrians of India and in the migrant Iranian communities around the world.
`Naw-Ruz' is occasionally used as a personal name in Iran.
The Bábi and Bahá'í Naw-Ruz
In the Badi` calendar of the Báb, Naw-Ruz is the day of Bahá of the month of
Bahá, a day called by the Báb `the Day of God' (yawmu'llah). It was also the
`Day of the Point' (yawm-i-nuqtih) -- i.e. the day of the Báb. Finally, it was
a day associated with Him Whom God shall make manifest, the Promised One of the
Báb. The remaining eighteen days of the month were associated with the eighteen
Letters of the Living, an indication that the Báb envisioned the Naw-Ruz
festivities encompassing the nineteen days of the month of Bahá, just as the
traditional Iranian Naw-Ruz festivities last thirteen days. During Naw-Ruz the
Báb permitted the use of musical instruments and other luxuries prohibited at
other times. During the night of Naw-Ruz each believer was to recite 361 times
the verse `God beareth witness that there is no God but Him, the Ineffable, the
Self-Subsistent'; and during the day, `God beareth witness that there is no God
but Him, the Precious, the Beloved'. Fast!
ing was prohibited during the whole month of Bahá.
During the six years of His mission, the Báb and His followers observed
Naw-Ruz, although it is difficult to say how much this represents a
distinctively Báb holy day.
Bahá'u'lláh adopted the Báb holy day of Naw-Ruz as the feast day following the
fast and stressed that it is associated with the Most Great Name, bearing as it
does Bahá'u'lláh's own name. `Abdu'l-Bahá explained the significance of Naw-Ruz
in terms of the symbolism of the new life of spring.
Bahá'u'lláh defines Naw-Ruz as the Bahá'í day on which the vernal equinox
occurs. Thus, even if the equinox should occur just before sunset, that day --
which in the Bahá'í calendar began at the moment of sunset on the previous day
-- is Naw-Ruz. At present, however, Naw-Ruz is fixed as 21 March for Bahá'ís in
all countries outside the Middle East, regardless of exactly when the equinox
occurs.
Naw-Ruz is one of the nine Bahá'í holy days on which work is to be suspended.
It is generally observed with a meeting for prayer and celebration -- often
combined with a dinner since the sunset on which Naw-Ruz begins ends the last
day of the Bahá'í fast. As with all Bahá'í holy days, there are few fixed rules
for observing Naw-Ruz, although Iranian Bahá'ís often follow Iranian
traditions. Many Bahá'ís use Naw-Ruz as a day of gift-giving. Bahá'ís do not
usually observe Naw-Ruz for longer than one day.
Since Naw-Ruz is the first day of a Bahá'í month, it is also the day of a
nineteen day feast. It is not permitted to combine this feast with the
observance of the holy day.
Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search.
The information contained in this e-mail and any attachments thereto ("e-mail")
is sent by the Johnson County Community College ("JCCC") and is intended to be
confidential and for the use of only the individual or entity named above. The
information may be protected by federal and state privacy and disclosures acts
or other legal rules. If the reader of this message is not the intended
recipient, you are notified that retention, dissemination, distribution or
copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail
in error please immediately notify JCCC by email reply and immediately and
permanently delete this e-mail message and any attachments thereto. Thank you.
__________________________________________________
You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Unsubscribe: send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subscribe: http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st
Baha'i Studies is available through the following:
Mail - mailto:[email protected]
Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/?forum=bahai-st
News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st
Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist
Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]
New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
