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    Nowruz Festival: Roots, Celebrations and Customs

    Written by: Waseem Abbas
    Posted on: March 21, 2023 | | 中文

    Rasam-e-Daada is a popular Nowruz celebration in Gilgit Baltistan

    Nowruz marks the beginning of a new year and spring for many communities around the world, especially the people residing around the ancient Silk Roads. Celebrated by approximately around 300 million people, this festival has Zoroastrian roots and a history of over 2500 years. Nowruz is a combination of two Persian words, ‘now’ means ‘new’ and ‘ruz’ means 'day', which makes it a celebration of the new year. Nowruz is celebrated on either the 20th or 21st of March, the spring equinox, the day that marks the arrival of longer days and warmer weather, bidding farewell to winter.

    A man painting huge eggs on Nowruz in Tehran, while a group takes a selfie

    According to Shahnama Ferdowsi, the Nowruz festival originated during the time of the mythical King of Iran, Jamshid, who saved the world from a killer winter fated to perish humankind. Jamsheed did so by building a throne studded with gems and by elevating himself to the heavens, and from there he shone like a sun, thus neutralizing the severity of winter. Sitting in the heavens, Jamsheed proclaimed it to be a new day (Nowruz) for the people, which became a cultural festival as people have celebrated it for centuries. Some accounts say that Zarathustra, the founder of the Zoroastrian religion, was the main person behind Nowruz. The festival has spread to other parts of the world over time, and is now celebrated in South Asia, Central Asia, the Caucus, Black Sea and Western Asia by different communities. Nowruz is an official holiday in Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and another about a dozen countries. The celebration of Nowruz usually goes on for thirteen days.

    Ancient Persian painting, depicting the mythical king Jamshid

    Nowruz celebrations have incorporated some of the local customs and have evolved differently in various regions over time. In ancient Persia, Nowruz festivities would start four weeks before Nowruz, as each Tuesday before the Nowruz marked a unique celebration with a cultural touch. The first was known as Water Tuesday, which placed emphasize on the renewal of nature; the second was Fire Tuesday, signifying rebirth; the third was Earth Tuesday, signaling the revival of the earth; and the final was Wind Tuesday, which heralded the arrival of spring by the flowering that followed. The purification of the soul was central to Nowruz's beliefs, as people would jump over a bonfire to purify the soul and cleanse the spirits on the last Tuesday before Nowruz. Cleaning houses and streets, making new clothes, planting trees and hosting family dinners are some of the popular forms of celebrations that are still practiced during the Nowruz holidays.

    Kurds celebrating Nowruz in Sanandji, Iran, in 2019

    Popular food custom regarding Nowruz is arranging a 'Haftseen' table, seven eatable things starting with the letter ‘س’ (pronounced as seen) or S; all of them represent something positive for the upcoming year. These include: Sabzah (sprouting or grass) signifying rebirth and growth; Samanu (wheat pudding), the symbol of power, strength, fertility and sweetness; Senjed (oleaster), symbolizing love and affection; Serkeh (vinegar) representing patience and long life; Seer (garlic) for good health; and Somaq (crushed spices of berries), symbolizing sunrise. The table is further adorned with colored eggs, reflecting fertility and creation; an orange floating in a bowl of water, signifying earth rotating around itself; a mirror, signaling self-reflection; coins, signifying wealth and prosperity, and a book of wisdom such as Quran, Bible, Avesta (holy book of Zoroastrians) or Shahnama Ferdowsi, signifying knowledge and truth.

    Haftseen or Haft-sin, the popular seven edible items on Nowruz

    Like all other parts of the world, Nowruz is celebrated in Pakistan as well, especially in Gilgit Baltistan (GB), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s regions bordering Afghanistan and Baluchistan. It is celebrated in all parts of the country by Zoroastrians, Bahais, Ismailis and some other Shia sects. In Gilgit Baltistan, Nowruz is celebrated with the same zeal, if not more, as Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha.

    Locals perform dance while carrying cultural objects in Khaplu, Baltistan, on Nowruz, 2022

    The most popular celebration on Nawruz across GB is Dada. In Dada, all the children born after the last Nowruz are gathered in a designated place, dressed in traditional outfits for grooms and brides. It is to welcome the kids and give them blessings who are heading to the first spring of their lives. Dry fruits and other edibles are piled together that have been brought by all the assembled families, and the newborn babies’ heads are brought in contact with the food that has been collected thrice. The ingredients are then distributed amongst all those present as sadqa (the concept is to give to the needy in any form, which benefits both the giver and the recipient) of the babies. In the Baltistan region, egg rolling (in this competition, the participants roll their eggs on grass and see whose egg will go farthest before cracking) is a common practice on Nowruz and many competitions are held on this occasion.

    Two young girls are holding colorful eggs during Nowruz in Khaplu, Baltistan

    Nowruz has been added to UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage in 2009, while the United Nations through its resolution number 64/253 officially recognized 21st March as International Nowruz Day in 2010. Nowruz is a joint cultural heritage of the world, which promotes coexistence, peace and harmony, as it is celebrated by people of different faiths, ethnicities, nationalities and political orientations.


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021