Persian Calendar: 

* شادباش نوروزی Nowruz Greetings*

Nowruz Greetings

Welcoming the Persian New Year 1389

به پیشباز نوروز همراه با بهترین شادباش‏ها و آرزوی تندرستی و سربلندی

      شمارش معکوس تا تحويل سال ۱۳۸۹ خورشیدی

Countdown to Norouz & the Iranian Year 1389 

بوی باران، بوی سبزه، بوی خاک

شاخه های شسته، باران خورده، پاک

آسمانِ آبی و ابرِ سپید 

برگهای سبز بید

عطر نرگس، رقص باد

نغمۀ شوق پرستوهای شاد...

خلوت گرم کبوترهای مست

نرم نرمک میرسد اینک بهار

خوش به حال روزگار    

فریدون مشیری   

 

The Ancient Tradition

No Ruz, ancient Iranian Navasarda, literary means ‘new day’, and is always celebrated at the moment of the Vernal Equinox in many parts of the Middle East, Central, West and South Asia on the 20th or 21st of March or the first day of Aries. This year’s No Ruz falls on the first of Farvardin of the Iranian solar year of 1387. 

The New Persian Year will begin on Firday 20 March 2008, at 11:43 London time.
 
This celebration of the rebirth of nature has its origin in the pre-Islamic period. The concept of rebirth and renewal of life, as well as the triumph of good over evil, reflect aspects of Zoroastrianism, the ancient religion of Iran.  In fact, the No Ruz festival is regarded as having been established by the prophet Zarathustra (Zoroaster) himself, who lived around 1200 BC. The ancient Babylonians also celebrated the New Year festival in the month of Nisanu (March-April) during the first millennium BC, and probably even earlier.  The celebrations in Babylonia lasted for twelve days and it is interesting that the Iranian NowRuz still lasts for thirteen days.  On sizdah bedar, the thirteenth, people set off for a picnic in fields and green, open spaces, taking the sabze, the wheat-shoots that they have grown from grain.  The day is pent enjoying eating, music and dancing with family and friends.

Now-Ruz Today

Today in Iran the No Ruz festivities begin on the eve of the last Wednesday of the year known as shab-e chahar shambe souri.  On this night people jump over bon fires to chase away darkness, evil and sickness and to prepare themselves for the brightness and goodness of the New Year. Children run through the streets banging pots and pans with spoons and knock on neighbourhood doors. They are often given a special mixture of seven dried fruits and nuts known as the ajil-e moshgel-gosha, the unraveller of problem that includes dried mulberries, figs, hazelnuts, pistachios, walnuts raisins and cashew nuts. In preparation for the New Year at the moment of the vernal equinox everyone wears a new colourful item of clothing and children and young people receive presents of gold coins, crisp new banknotes or jewellery from the older members of the family.

The Haft Sin

The celebrations of No Ruz begin by the preparation of haft sin spread that is an ornate table cloth with seven specific items laid out over it. The names of these seven items begin with the letter ‘s’ in the Persian language, seven being a sacred number in ancient times.  These items are sabzeh (green shoots of wheat or lentils), samanu (a sauce like dish made from wheat germ), seeb (apple), senjed (dried fruit of jujube) seer (garlic), somaq (sumac) and sombol (hyacinth).  In addition there is sekkeh (gold or silver coins), serkeh (vinegar), esfand/spand (wild rue) in an incense burner and several other decorative and special items whose names do not begin with the letter ‘s’, such as a mirror and candles, painted eggs, sugar almonds, rose water, gold fish, an orange floating in water, branches of pomegranate tree, divan of poems of Hafez the 14th century poet of Iran and a copy of the Quran for Muslims or the Avesta for Zoroastrians.

Each of these items is symbolically significant: sabzeh and samanu symbolise rebirth. seeb and senjed represent beauty, love and birth. Sombol and rose-water for delicate and sweet perfumes, spand-esfand for remembering the good spirits and warding off evil and illnesses. The fish (mahi) protects the world and is also the symbol of Pisces, the last month of the Iranian calendar. Seer and somaq are symbols of health and fight against illness. The eggs represent birth and prosperity and the coins symbolise wealth. The orange in water represents the world suspended in the universe. Finally branches of pomegranate allude to the passage of life through this world and mirror and candles reflect light and auspiciousness.  The number of candles corresponds to the number of children in a household.

Welcome to the British Institute of Persian Studies

Heads in tree

(A Registered Charity 231161)

Welcome to the website of the British Institute of Persian Studies. We are an academic body founded in 1961, associated with and financially supported by the British Academy. We promote scholarship and research in all aspects of Iranian Studies. A purpose-built institute was opened in Tehran in 1976 on land leased from the British Embassy in Qolhak. Why are Persian Studies important? Great cultures and dynasties have originated in what is now Iran.

Many distinguished scholars have explored the rich heritage, history and language of Iran. Although Oriental Studies have been under pressure in the UK for economic reasons, and despite the interruption in contacts for a period because of the Revolution, there are many British scholars, young and old, who are working on academic research relating to Iran in a number of disciplines: from art history and archaeology, to history and the social sciences. The work is now increasingly carried out in conjunction with Iranian scholars. The Institute currently has three 'umbrella' programmes:

*   Socio-economic transformation in the later prehistory of Iran

*   Kingship in Persian cultural history

*   Modern Iran: national identities- history, myth and literature

BIPS currently sponsors a series of academic projects including studies in:       

London office:
The British Institute of Persian Studies

(A Registered Charity 230061)
The British Academy
10 Carlton House Terrace
London SW1Y 5AH

 

 

Tel: 020 7969 5203
Fax: 020 7969 5401
Email: bips@britac.ac.uk

Tehran office:
The British Institute of Persian Studies
1553 Dr Ali Shariati Avenue
Qolhak
Tehran 19396-13661

Tel: (009821) 2260 1937
Fax: (009821) 2260 4901
Email: bips@parsonline.net

 

 

 

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