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Originally posted by Firdousi
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You can't rebuttle with diverting attention to pashtunwali.
But we can discuss pashtunwali and my take on it in another thread.
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What is nowroz
Although having*Iranian*and religious*Zoroastrian*origins, Nowruz has been celebrated by people from diverse ethno-linguistic communities. It has been celebrated for over 3,000 years in*Western Asia,*Central Asia, the*Caucasus, the*Black Sea Basin, *It is a*secular*holiday for most celebrants that is enjoyed by people of several different faiths, but remains a holy day for Zoroastrians.[43]
Nowruz is the day of the*vernal equinox, and marks the beginning of spring in the*Northern Hemisphere. It marks the first day of the first month (Farvardin) in the*Iranian calendar.[44]*It usually occurs on*March 21*or the previous or following day, depending on where it is observed. The moment the*sun*crosses the*celestial equator*and equalizes night and day is calculated exactly every year, and families gather together to observe the rituals.
Ok let's see what Omar khayyam wrote about nowroz.
In the book*Nowruznama*("Book of the New Year", which is attributed to*Omar Khayyam,a well known*Persian poet*and*mathematician), a vivid description of the celebration in the courts of the kings of Iran is provided:*"From the era of*Kai Khosrow*till the days of*Yazdegard, last of the pre-Islamic kings of Iran, the royal custom was thus: on the first day of the New Year,*Now Ruz, the king's first visitor was the High*Mobad*of the*Zoroastrians, who brought with him as gifts a golden goblet full of wine, a ring, some gold coins, a fistful of green sprigs of wheat, a sword, and a bow.
In the language of Iran, he would then glorify God and praise the monarch.
This was the address of the High Mobad to the king: "O*Majesty, on this feast of the*equinox, first day of the first month of the year, seeing that thou hast freely chosen God and the faith of the ancient ones; may*Sraosha, the angel-messenger, grant thee wisdom and insight and sagacity in thy affairs. Live long in praise, be happy and fortunate upon thy golden throne, drink immortality from the*Cup of*Jamshid; and keep in solemn trust the customs of our ancestors, their noble aspirations, fair gestures and the exercise of justice and righteousness. May thy soul flourish; may thy youth be as the new-grown grain; may thy horse be puissant, victorious; thy sword bright and deadly against foes; thy hawk swift against its prey; thy every act straight as the arrow's shaft. Go forth from thy rich throne, conquer new lands. Honor the craftsman and the sage in equal degree; disdain the acquisition of wealth. May thy house prosper and thy life be long!"
It is obvious that nowroz is a pagan Zoroastrian religious holiday which is celebrated on the first day of the Iranian calender to celebrate the first day "universe being put in motion".
Kings would come from different colonised nation to pay homage to Persian king on this day so that explains why this pagan Persian feast was pushed on other nations.
Let's see what other experts and historians say
Mary Boyce*and Frantz Grenet explain the traditions for seasonal festivals and comment: "It is possible that the splendor of the*Babylonian*festivities at this season led the Iranians to develop their own spring festival into an established New Year feast, with the name*Navasarda*"New Year" (a name which, though first attested through Middle Persian derivatives, is attributed to the Achaemenian period)." Since the communal observations of the ancient Iranians appear in general to have been a seasonal ones, and related to agriculture, "it is probable that they traditionally held festivals in both autumn and spring, to mark the major turning points of the natural year."[52]
Nowruz is partly rooted in the tradition of*Iranian religions, such as*Mitraism*and*Zoroastrianism. In Mitraism, festivals had a deep linkage with the sun's light. The Iranian festivals such as*Mehrgan*(autumnal equinox),*Tirgan, and the eve of*Chelle ye Zemestan*(winter solstice) also had an origin in the Sun god (Surya). Among other ideas, Zoroastrianism is the first*monotheistic*religion that emphasizes broad concepts such as the corresponding work of good and evil in the world, and the connection of humans to nature. Zoroastrian practices were dominant for much of the history of ancient Iran. In Zoroastrianism, the seven most important Zoroastrian festivals are the six*Gahambar*festivals and Nowruz, which occurs at the*spring equinox. According to*Mary Boyce,[53]"It seems a reasonable surmise that Nowruz, the holiest of them all, with deep doctrinal significance, was founded by*Zoroaster*himself"; although there is no clear date of origin.[54]*Between sunset on the day of the sixth Gahambar and sunrise of Nowruz,*Hamaspathmaedaya*(later known, in its extended form, as*Frawardinegan; and today known as*Farvardigan) was celebrated. This and the Gahambars are the only festivals named in the surviving text of the*Avesta.
The 10th-century scholar*Biruni, in his work*Kitab al-Tafhim li Awa'il Sina'at al-Tanjim, provides a description of the calendars of various nations. Besides the Iranian calendar, various festivals of Greeks, Jews, Arabs, Sabians, and other nations are mentioned in the book. In the section on the Iranian calendar, he mentions Nowruz,*Sadeh, Tirgan, Mehrgan, the six Gahambars, Farvardigan, Bahmanja,*Esfand Armaz*and several other festivals. According to him, "It is the belief of the Iranians that Nowruz marks the first day when the universe started its motion."[55]*The Persian historian*Gardizi, in his work titled*Zayn al-Akhbār, under the section of the Zoroastrians festivals, mentions Nowruz (among other festivals) and specifically points out that*Zoroaster*highly emphasized the celebration of Nowruz and Mehrgan.[56][57]
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