Welcome to the David Victor Vector Blog

Welcome to the David Victor Vector blog. This is blog that covers religious observances around the world international affairs and global business. This blog describes religious holidays for most major religions as well as raising issues dealing with globalization, international business ethics, cross-cultural business communication and political events affecting business in an integrated world economy. I look forward your discussion and commentary on these articles and subjects. Enjoy!

Monday, March 18, 2024

Naw-Rúz, Nowruz, Newruz -- The Bahá'í, Zoroastrian and Persian New Year

 

 

 

 

Introduction

The Vernal Equinox has religious significance for several religions. In Bahá'í and Zoroastrianism, it marks the major holiday of Naw-Rúz (or Nowruz, Newroz, or Novruz)

In Islam, in the Alawite Shiite tradition, Naw-Rúz is a minor holiday. The holiday is also a minor holiday in the Sufi Islamic traditions of Alevism and Betashism where it is called Nowruz and Sultan Nevruz, respectively.

For the Baha’i and Zoroastrian (or Parsee) religions as well as Alawite, Alevi and Betashist Muslims, Naw-Rúz begins for 2024 at sunset on Tuesday March 19 and ends at sunset Wednesday March 20. 

Additionally, Naw-Rúz is additionally a national holiday observed in nine countries as a cultural observance (as of 2024), although at varying days, as explained below. 

Additionally, throughout the Kurdish-speaking world, as researcher Hewa Salam Khalid (2020) Newroz is "seen as the celebration of Kurdish national identity by the Kurds." 

This is the second of two posts. The earlier post dealt with the related holiday of the vernal equinox called Ostara. This is a major holiday for those practicing Wicca, Neo-Druidism and Neo-Paganism. You can read this post on Ostara at 

This post deals with the religious holiday of Zoroastrianism, Baha’iism, and of certain Islamic sects. This post also describes the central Asian quasi-religious folk holiday of Naw-Rúz.

Naw-Rúz: A Note About the Name

Because ancient Persian does not transliterate well into Latin letters, a great number of alternative spellings for the same holiday. Within the Baha’i faith, Naw-Rúz is the preferred spelling. 

In Zoroastrianism, there is no preferred English spelling. Indeed, there is. for that matter, no consistency as to whether the two words are hyphenated, combined or left separate. K.E. Eduljee on the Nowruz page of the Zoroastrian Heritage website found 24 spellings for the holiday on Google.    
 
2011 Norooz celebration 
UNESCO headquarters, Paris
had performers from Afghanistan, 
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, 
Russia and Uzbekistan 
In 2009, UNESCO formally categorized what was spelled in English as Nowrooz as an official “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity event. This is the Farsi spelling of the holiday used in Iran. The UN, however, listed several other spellings as well.

Baha’is point out that, significantly, the meeting the Inter-governmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Heritage took place in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Ironically, the UAE openly persecuted Baha’is through most of the 1980’s and 1990’s, and, although things have improved since a change of policy in 1999, the UAE continues to block internet sites associated with the Baha’i faith. 

Some of the most common spellings and the language associated with the spelling are Navroz (Uzbek), Novruz (Azeri), Nowruz (Arabic, Pashto, Turkmen, Kurdish), Navruz (Tajik), Nauryz or Nauriz (Kazakh, Kyrgyz), Nevruz (Turkish) and Novruzit (Albania).

For the purposes of this article, for no reason other than consistency sake,  I have kept to the Baha’i spelling of Naw-Rúz.

Naw-Rúz in Baha’iism

In the Baha’i religion, Naw-Rúz marks the beginning of the New Year and is among the most significant of their Holy Days.  

While Baha’i scripture indicates that Naw-Rúz falls on March 20, some Baha’is alternatively observe the holiday on March 21, especially in the United States, Canada, western European countries and India where March 21 is often considered to be the vernal equinox. 

Naw-Rúz is the first day of the Baha’i calendar. On Naw-Rúz, Baha’is  are prohibited from working; this includes the prohibition of attending classes.  

For Baha’is,. Naw-Rúz marks the end of a 19-day fast in which no healthy adult eats from sunrise to sunset (similar to the practice of Moslems during Ramadan).  For Baha’is,  Naw-Rúz is spent in celebrations, although the traditions change from country to country.  

For most of the world’s 6-7 million Baha’is though, it remains customary on the Naw-Rúz holiday to gather as groups to read from the Baha’i holy writings,  wear new clothing, and to decorate with flowers.  In the United States, Baha’is traditionally hold pot-luck gatherings where festive foods are exchanged and people read from Baha’i scripture.

Naw-Rúz in Zoroastrianism

For Zoroatrianism, as with Baha’iism, Naw-Rúz marks the beginning of the New Year and is among the most significant of their Holy Days.  


Who are the Zoroastrians? A Brief Background

At this point, it may be worth pointing out who the Zoroastrians are. Zoroastrians are also called Parsees or Parsis, reflecting their origin in Persia (modern-day Iran). Zoroastrianism is an ancient faith founded by the prophet Zoroaster (or Zarathustra) in the 6th Century BCE. Zoroastrians worship the uncreated Creator called Ahura Mazda (literally Light and Wisdom). For centuries, Zoroastrianism was the dominant religion of ancient Persia and the surrounding countries.

With the arrival of Islam, the fortunes of Zoroastrianism began to decline precipitously. The Zoroastrians were forced to leave Persia in the wake of major persecutions by Moslems beginning in the 10th Century CE. By the 12th Century, most Parsees, faced with a choice of conversion to Islam or death, chose to fell to what is now the Indian state of Gujarat, which is still the center of the Parsee population. 

On the whole, Zoroastrians are not a large group, with perhaps a million followers, primarily in India and the United States.  However, Zoroastrians have a strong influence beyond their numerical size on the culture around them.  

Notable Zoroastrians (right to left)
Jamsetji Tata, Freddy Mercury, Zubin Mehta, Sooni Taraporevala
Many famous people are Zoroastrians including the conductor Zubin Mehta, the rock band Queen’s lead singer Freddie Mercury, the US Civil Rights leader and Boston University professor Farhang Mehr, Oscar-nominated screenwriter Sooni Taraporevala,  the father of India’s nuclear program Homi Jehangir Baba, several Bollywood actors and directors. India’s most prominent business family -- the Tatas --  are also Parsees. The Tata Group controls a vast empire of 114 different companies ranging from the world’s second-largest tea producer Tetley to south Asia’s largest automaker Tata Motors (which recently took over Land Rover and Jaguar). The Tata family is also credited with founding modern India’s university system. 

Zoroastrian Observance of Naw-Rúz

All Zoroastrians observe Naw-Rúz, although those of the Fasli sect celebrate a spring Naw-Rúz (or Jamshedi Naw-Rúz) and a summer Naw-Rúz.  Interestingly, while the three main sects of Zoroastrianism have separate calendars (which actually aligned for the only time in 1992, but again have unaligned), the dates of most holidays are a point of controversy.  Yet regardless of sect, all Zoroastrians recognize Naw-Rúz as the vernal equinox (which may fall on March 19, 20 or 21, varying by particular year). On Naw-Rúz, Zoroastrians refrain from work including school attendance. 
 
Naw-Rúz Fire 
Traditionally, Zoroastrians light seven small bonfires on the eve of Naw-Rúz  to symbolically burn away pain and sickness.  

On Naw-Rúz Eve, children dress up in white sheets representing the souls of the departed. Parallels to the western traditions of Halloween are evident. Children are also give spoons to bang on pots and pans symbolically to chase out the old year and herald the new.

Also on Naw-Rúz Eve, Zoroastrians traditionally tie a knot in a handkerchief or cloth and ask the first person they see on the holiday to untie the knot, symbolically unraveling one’s misfortunes of the previous year and setting them free. Zoroastrians also wear new clothing and gather at people’s houses to celebrate.  

Many Zoroastrians visit the houses of friends and give gifts on Naw-Rúz day itself. In preparation, people awake early, bathe and put on new clothing (often their best outfits) to symbolize starting anew. Women wear elaborate sari draped in Parsi-specific style. Many people hold large gathering in their homes where guests received pastries, nuts and dried fruits. One food specific to the holiday is Ajil a Chaharshanbeh. This is made of unsalted hazelnuts, pistachios, cashews, almonds and walnuts together with roasted chickpeas and dried raisins and toot (dried white mulberries).
Ajil a Chaharshanbeh


Another major symbol of the Zoroastrian Naw-Rúz is growing of sabzeh nowruz -- newly sprouted wheat grass.  Young women then offer small patches of sabzeh nowruz  as a symbol of renewal and new life.
Offering sabzeh nowruz
Many Parsis in India decorate the thresholds of their doors and entry halls with rangoli. Rangoli are traditional Indian decorations and patterns made of colored powder.

Nowruz Rangoli



Farvardigan Days and Pateti

Observances actually begin before the holiday actually begins. Beginning ten days before Naw-Rúz starts what are called the Farvardigan Days or (in India) Muktad. This can be seen as somewhat equivalent  to the Roman Catholic All-Souls’ Day tradition (for more on All-Souls’ Day, please see my blog post at

 
 Fravashi
During the Farvadigan Days, prayers are offered at the temple for the fravashis, the souls of the departed. It is believed at this time that the souls of the dead are near at this point and that deceased loved ones provide blessings to those offering them such prayers. In time, fravashis can become guardian angels or farvards (hence the name Farvardian Days). The fravashi is one of the central symbols of Zoroastrianism but is also well-associated with ancient Persian culture. Because of this, until the overthrow of the Shah in Iran's Islamic Revolution, the symbol of the Pahlahvi dynasty there featured a  fravashi. 

During the Farvadigan days, it is traditional to clean one's house. The source of the tradition of Spring Cleaning comes from this ancient tradition.

The day before Naw-Rúz is called Pateti. On Pateti, Zoroastrians are supposed to think deeply on all of the wrongdoings they have done over the past year. By repenting on these bad behaviors, believers hope to start the new year afresh.

The Haft Seen

Haft Seen Table Spread
Perhaps the most central symbol for Zoroastrians – particularly among the Parsees of India – is the table spread known as the Haft Seen.

The phrase  means the seven – “haft” -- things beginning with the Farsi letter “s” or “seen”(in other words, the Seven Esses).  
These seven items are highly symbolic although some disagreement from group to group surrounds what the actual seven items are.  

In general the Haft Seen are 

1)      sabzeh (barley, wheat or lentils for rebirth)

2)       samanu (wheat germ pudding) or sekkeh (coins) which symbolize wealth)

3)      senjed (a Middle Eastern red date) symbolizing love

4)      seer (garlic) or seeb (apples) symbolizing health and beauty

5)      somaq (sumac berries, which by the way is the source of the English word, symbolizing the new day dawning or sunrise)

6)      serkey (or vinegar) symbolizing patience and gaining old age)

7)      sonbol (or hyacinths) symbolizing the coming of Spring itself, which the holiday marks.  

Additionally, most Zoroastrians light candles at the table of the Haft Seen (again as the symbolic purification of fire). 

It is customary as well to have a bowl of water with an orange floating in it (symbolizing the earth floating in space) and/or a goldfish (symbolizing life within life, as well as representing the sun leaving Pisces at this time). 

The Egg: A Link Between Christian Easter Practices and Zoroastrian Naw-Rúz

Eggs are an important symbol of rebirth used for Naw-Rúz. Three, five or seven eggs are often added to the Haft Sin table. These eggs are decorated for the holiday. For some idea of the type of patterns – traditional and new – used to decorate Naw-Rúz eggs, please see the “Magic Nowruz Egg” website at


Click on the dots beneath the eggs to bring up new selections. The video is also worth watching as it shows how to make the egg patterns (but unfortunately is not in English). Some decorated Naw-Rúz egg examples from the site are shown below.

Naw-Rúz eggs – called tokhme morgh – have multiple symbolic values. On one level, they represent people. The word for egg in ancient Persian is tied to the words for “person” mardom and “mortal” martiya. Indeed, it is from the same etymology that the English word “mortality” derives. In Zoroastrianism, the eggs represent a martiya tauxman meaning “the mortal seed.”

For at least 2500 years and more likely 3000 years, the Naw-Rúz egg has symbolized fertility. It is unclear whether the Zoroastrian association of the egg with fertility led to the association of the egg with the ancient Assyrian and Babylonian fertility goddess Ishtar or vice versa. The association of the egg with fertility in the two religions present in ancient Mesopotamia in any case reinforced each other. As the cult of Ishtar died out with the fall of the Assyrian Empire, most Zoroastrians would argue that their association with the springtime egg would be the truer one.

While some Christians have observed that Zoroastrian Naw-Rúz egg decoration parallels the Easter egg tradition, it is noteworthy that it is really the Easter egg that is derived from the Zoroastrian tradition, not vice versa.  In other words, the Christian custom of decorating and eating eggs at Easter is generally viewed as having had its origins in the Zoroastrian traditions of Persia which predated it by a millennium. The custom of decorating eggs was introduced to Europe by the soldiers of Alexander the Great after their return from their military campaigns there.

In another interesting parallel, the name Easter in English and several other languages is tied etymologically to the ancient Persian fertility goddess Ishtar,  Similarly, the Hebrew name Esther also has its origins in the fertility goddess Ishtar’s name. It is not coincidental that the Book of Esther around which the springtime Jewish holiday of Purim is centered took place in the Persian kingdom of Xerxes I. For more on the holiday of Purim, please see my blog post at


Naw-Rúz far predates Christianity, and has its origins in the religions of Ancient Persia. There are records of Zoroastrians observing Naw-Rúz that go back at least 3000 years. The holiday in some Zoroastrian traditions is believed to have been first observed in its present form by the religion’s founder Zoroaster. 

Naw-Rúz Around the World

The celebration of Naw-Rúz is among the oldest cultural practices in the area once ruled by the Persian Empire. Far predating Islam, the holiday’s rituals are so deeply engrained over 3000 years of practice that it is still celebrated in Iran and several bordering areas. 

The people of these regions celebrate Naw-Rúz as a semi-secular holiday, with some practices conducted in secret since many Islamic leaders in Iran have condemned it.   Still, Norooz (the Farsi name for Naw-Rúz) is an official, public secular holiday in Iran. Norooz lasts for four days with schools and universities often giving 13 days as a sort of spring break period. 


Afghan girls with Naw-Rúz flowers
Naw-Rúz is also a public holiday in several other countries. In Afghanistan, the holiday was banned under the Taliban rule. Since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001, Naw-Rúz is now once again an Afghan public holiday (lasting for four days as in Iran). 

Other countries that make Naw-Rúz a four-day public holiday are AlbaniaKazakhstanTajikistan and TurkmenistanAzerbaijan has the longest period for the holiday as Naw-Rúz there lasts a full week, and officially is a seven-day public holiday. 

Additionally, Naw-Rúz is recognized as a one-day public holiday in KosovoKyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Finally, in the Kurdish portion of Iraq and in the India state of KashmirNaw-Rúz is an official, one-day, public holiday.

In Iran and the surrounding areas, the practice of spring house-cleaning has its origins in Naw-Rúz. This is the same tradition of “spring cleaning” practiced even in the West (from which several traditions adopted it during the influence of the Zoroastrians on the upper class of the military during the Roman Empire).  

Hyacinths have been a symbol
of Naw-Rúz in Iran for centuries
Other traditions include wearing newly bought clothes and decorating with hyacinths remain as the only remnant of practice for some Iranians.   Other Iranians – particularly in rural Iran -- continue to practice the setting of the Haft Seen and other practices.

Even where it is not a state holiday, Naw-Rúz is widely celebrated in much of central Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean and is a major holiday of celebration among the Iranian and Kurdish diasporas around the world. 

Indeed, it was the importance of the holiday to Iranian and Kurdish groups in Canada that led it to recognize Naw-Rúz (although not as a public holiday in Canada) by requiring since 2009 that all official Canadian calendars include the date for Naw-Rúz

In 2009, President Barack Obama sent an official Naw-Rúz video message from the White House both recognizing the holiday and calling for better ties with Iran.  To see President Obama’s Naw-Rúz video message, see http://www.iranpresswatch.org/post/1971

President Donald Trump also wished observers "a beautiful and blessed Nowruz" then, in 2018, took a different tack from his predecessor, famously condemning Iran as a nation where, "deceit has become official state policy. President Trump acknowledged the holiday saying:
“The history of Nowruz is rooted in Iran, where for millennia a proud nation has overcome great challenges by the strength of its culture and the resilience of its people... Today, the Iranian people face another challenge: rulers who serve themselves instead of serving the people.” https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/20/politics/donald-trump-persian-new-year-nowruz-message/index.html 

President Joe Biden struck a chord somewhere between the conciliatory Obama and combative Trump remarks in 2023:

Today, Jill and I send our best wishes to everyone celebrating Nowruz across the United States and around the world—from the Middle East, to Central and South Asia, to the Caucasus, to Europe.

Then following this with a call for support 

"for the women of Iran who are fighting for their human rights and fundamental freedoms. The United States will continue to stand with them, and all the citizens of Iran who are inspiring the world with their conviction and courage. And together with our partners, we will continue to hold Iranian officials accountable for their attacks against their people." https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/03/20/statement-from-president-joe-biden-marking-nowruz/


Islamic Observances of Naw-Rúz

While three sects of Islam – the Alawis of Syria, the Alevis of Turkey and the primarily Albanian Sufi Bektashis —recognize Naw-Rúz as an Islamic holiday, it is important to note that this is not widespread in other Islamic traditions. 

Indeed, during the Taliban’s control of AfghanistanNaw-Rúz was officially designated a “pagan” holiday and banned. Since 2001, though, the holiday has been officially recognized by Afghanistan as a national holiday.   

 
Alawite Naw-Rúz

The Alawite Muslims of Syria (the faith to which the ruling Assad family belongs) also celebrate Naw-Rúz. For the Alawis, this is a time of renewal and is marked with a feast. During the ongoing civil war in Syria, there has been considerable concern regarding sectarian violence directed against the Alawite community in Syria. In part motivated by the fact that President Bashar al-Assad is an Alawi, violence has led to multiple attacks against the community both politically-based from those opposed to the Assad regime as well as religiously-based from Sunni Muslims who are intolerant of Alawite beliefs. This has meant that many Alawite Muslims have fled their homes to other countries or into the mountains and that open Alawite  religious observance is increasingly dangerous in Syria. For more on the targeted attacks on the Alawis in Syria, please see the NPR coverage back in 2012 at
http://www.npr.org/2012/06/13/154904208/in-syrias-sectarian-battle-who-are-the-alawites The issue remains unresolved, because the Alawite community were seen as loyal to the Assad side of the conflict, they were particularly targeted by those fighting against it.  The situation worsened as the Assad government called on Russian and Iranian support in the Civil War. 

Alevi Naw-Rúz  

Alevi man walks over Newruz 
bonfire to purify his soul
The Alevi Moslems, located primarily in Turkey, celebrate what they call Newruz both as a new year festival and as a time of reconciliation. The Alevis have added to the Zoroastrian traditions their own overlay, using the day to honor the birth of Imam Ali and his marriage to Fatima, and the saving of Yusuf (the Biblical Joseph) after his brothers abandoned him.. A special Nawruz cem (the Alevite worship service) is held for the day. Alevis have a custom of walking over the Newruz bonfire to purify their souls as the new year begins.

Following the founding of the Republic of Turkey until the early 1990's the Alevis in Turkey were officially discouraged from celebrating Naw-Rúz in public. Part of this was based on concerns that the lighting of bonfires caused a safety hazard. Many Alevis, however, argued that this was because a large number of Alevis are Kurdish and the government was concerned that Naw-Rúz would be used as as an opportunity for anti-government activism. In any case, since the 1990's, Alevi public celebrations, including bonfires, have been entirely allowed. Indeed, Alevi dancing and other programs for Naw-Rúz are frequently organized by local and municipal government officials in areas with a high Alevi population.

Bektashi Naw-Rúz

The Bektashi Sufist of Albania also celebrate Naw-Rúz as the birthday of the Imam Ali. In addition to the housecleaning and similar cultural rituals followed in most secular celebration of Naw-Rúz, the Bektashi recite a mystical prayer used only on Naw-Rúz day. The prayer is centered on the image of “the light of divine reality”  

Quite apart from the religious significance of the Bektashi Naw-Rúz prayer, the language is poetic and beautiful. It opens as follows:


May god give his blessing, O friends 
Nawruz the faithful 
has come, 
That is the anniversary of the king of kings, 
of palace and of the brightness of day, 
The wisdom of God has now become evident - -

The high mercy of God becoming manifest, 
Verily all earth and heaven became filled with light.


The light of Divine Reality 
has covered all the world. 
Heaven scattered light like the dawn. 
An angel came and saluted me, 
He raised my fame above the exalted ones, 
He said: "This night the king of religion 
is being born,

The dweller in the highest throne is awaiting'
The rest of the prayer goes on to hope that the birth of Imam Ali be always remembered and that his relationship to the Prophet Mohammed be recalled forever. The second half of the prayer describes the symbolic importance of light and ties the divine light of guidance shown to Adam that was shared through each of the prophets of Islam through the Prophet Mohammed and the Imam Ali. This light is seen as the gateway to divine knowledge and reaching God.

 
Conclusion

As with all of my posts on this site regarding religious holidays, this overview is in no way intended to suggest what is or is not proper observance. The sole purpose here is to inform. If you would like to share your own views of the holiday, please do leave a comment. I would welcome hearing from you.

Happy Naw-Rúz  
Want to learn more?

General information

Sara Al Shurafa (March 21, 2019), "Nowruz: People Across Asia Celebrate Persian New Year," Gulf Newshttps://gulfnews.com/world/mena/nowruz-people-across-asia-celebrate-persian-new-year-1.1553161899422

Farina Amini (March 21, 2011), “The Grass is Green: Nowruz Celebrated at UDEL,” http://www.payvand.com/news/11/mar/1100.html

BBC News (March 21, 2019), "Nowruz: How 300m people celebrate Persian New Year," https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-middle-east-47643267/nowruz-how-300m-people-celebrate-persian-new-year

Catherine Beyer (February 6, 2018),  Naw-Ruz – The Baha'i and Zoroastrian New Year,” About.com:

Hewa Salam Khalid (Nov. 1, 2020), "Newroz from Kurdish and Persian Perspectives –A Comparative Study," Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 116-130, https://www.ejecs.org/index.php/JECS/article/view/318 

A. Shaper Shahbazi (nd, retrieved March 19, 2020), “Haft Sin,”  http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/haft-sin

A. Shaper Shahbazi (December 30, 2012), “Iranian Traditions and Celebrations: Haft Sin,” Encyclopedia Iranica,  https://www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/Celebrations/haftsin.htm

United Nations (March 21, 2019), "International Nowruz Day."https://www.un.org/en/observances/international-nowruz-day

Nourish Ziabari and Afshin Marashi (April 2, 2019), "Nowruz: Celebrating History's Cycle of Birth and Rebirth," Fair Observer, https://www.fairobserver.com/region/middle_east_north_africa/nowruz-celebrations-iran-culture-history-news-91912/

In Baha’iism

Baha’i Mosaic (March 20, 2019) , “Some Baha’i Readings for a Naw-Ruz Gathering,” http://bahaimosaic.blogspot.com/2009/02/some-bahai-readings-for-naw-ruz.html


Baha'i Teachings, "Naw-Ruz: It's a New Day and a New Year" (March 20, 2019), Bahai Teachings.orghttps://bahaiteachings.org/naw-ruz-new-day-new-year/

Encyclopedia Brittanica (March 13, 2020), "Nowruz: Zoroastrianism and Parsiism,"https://www.britannica.com/topic/Noruz

John Walbridge (1996) , “Naw-Rúz: The Bahá'í New Year,” Baha’i Library Online:

In Zoroastrianism:

K.E. Eduljee (nd retrieved March 19, 2020), “Nowruz,” Zoroastrian Heritage website: http://heritageinstitute.com/zoroastrianism/nowruz/index.htm

Daily News and Analysis of India (August 19, 2010), Parsis celebrate Zoroastrian New Year 'Navroz' in Mumbai,” http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report_parsis-celebrate-zoroastrian-new-year-navroz-in-mumbai_1425865

Ali A. Jafarey (March 20, 2005), “Nowruz – Zarathushrian New Year,” http://www.zoroastrian.org/articles/nowruz.htm 

Homa (March 20, 2015), "Nowruz: Persian New Year," Persian Mama, https://persianmama.com/nowruz-norooz-persian-new-year-celebration/

Prokeraia (March 19, 2020), "Jamshedi Nowruz 2020: Know all about the Parsi New Year 2020, and celebrations that Make a Happy Navroze extra special": https://www.prokerala.com/news/articles/a1019439.html

Caleb Wilkinson (August 19, 2016), "Parsi New Year: A Time of Renewal and Rejuvenation," Cultural Awareness International, https://culturalawareness.com/parsi-new-year/

In Islam:

Turkish Daily News, "Nowruz in Turkey":
http://www.fravahr.org/spip.php?breve621

Hunza Develpment Forum:

National Public Radio, Morning Edition (June 13, 2012) "In Syria's Sectarian Battle, Who Are The Alawites?" https://www.npr.org/2012/06/13/154904208/in-syrias-sectarian-battle-who-are-the-alawites

Clip Art Sources


Happy Naw Ruz opening image: http://media.photobucket.com/image/recent/herbiehowsermc/Naw-Ruz.jpg

2011 UNESCO Norooz celebration:  http://photobank.unesco.org/exec/fiche.htm

Jamsetji Tata stamp http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/artifact/stamps/s310.htm

Freddy Mercury: http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/3858151/Freddie+Mercury++35.jpg

Zubin Mehta: http://www.guidaindia.com/images/stories/zubin_mehta200px.jpg

Sooni Taraporevala: http://im.rediff.com/movies/2009/mar/12sli1.jpg

Naw Ruz fire: http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/47514000/jpg/_47514355_nz_fire_chrisdb_766x511.jpg

Fravashihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Faravahar.svg

Ajil a Chaharshanbeh: https://persianmama.com/nowruz-norooz-persian-new-year-celebration/

Offering sabzeh nowruz: BBC https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-middle-east-47643267/nowruz-how-300m-people-celebrate-persian-new-year

Nowruz Rangolihttps://culturalawareness.com/parsi-new-year/

Haft Seen table spread: http://heritageinstitute.com/zoroastrianism/nowruz/nowruz3.htm#table

Naw Ruz eggs: http://magicnoruzegg.com/index-2.html 

Afghan girls with Naw Ruz flowers: http://www.faratarazmarzha.org/En/Culture/Nawrooze.htm

Hyacinths: http://www.ausgardener.com.au/plants/Hyacinth-Mixture.html

Alevi man walks over Newruz bonfire, Turkish Daily News:
http://www.fravahr.org/spip.php?breve621

Imam Ali painting by Ahmad Resa Haraji: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mola_Ali.jpg

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Saint Patrick's Day and the Greening of Monuments: Rise and Demise of a Soft Power Success Story

The Greening of Monuments


The push for the greening (green lighting) of national icons for St. Patrick's Day was a great success. 
Assisted in part by efforts from efforts begun in 2009 through Tourism Ireland, the Irish government  encouraged nations across the globe to join in the "greening" for March 17.

From 2009 to 2021, the worldwide "greening" of monuments grew from a mere handful to hundreds. At its height in 2021, Tourism Ireland and (cross-listed with Belfast Vibeannounced that 689 monuments, landmarks or buildings in 66 countries were participating in the Global Greening initiative.
Tauron Arena greenlit, Kraków, Poland

From a branding and public relations perspective, Saint Patrick's Day is also interesting as one of the most effective "soft power" campaigns of any nation. The Irish government and Tourism Ireland began its "Greening" campaign  with the goal of convincing governments and organizations to honor Ireland by lighting monuments and landmarks green for Saint Patrick's Day. I personally know of no other soft power campaign that had proven to be so rapidly successful.

End of the Official Irish Global Greening Campaign

As of January 31, 2024, Tourism Ireland officially called an end to the Greening initiative. As reported in The Journal (Dublin), Tourism Ireland has ended the official support for the Global Greening, noting instead that Irish missions abroad would make individual choices whether to do so. The missions were told that they could have "high profile greenings as appropriate."

For all its importance as a soft power success, the Global Greening initiative fell victim to 
politicization. The great strength of the Global Greening initiative was in its apolitical promotion of Ireland representing perhaps the single most-recognized association of a nation with a color supporting positive feeling toward Ireland and the Irish diaspora. Within two years, this classic soft power success story had collapsed to align with the transitory current political issues of the day. However admirable the political issues of the day may have seemed at the time, the Global Greening initiative could not withstand two separate pauses in 2022 and 2023 that had nothing to do with Ireland itself.

The 2024 decision end of Ireland's official government support made official what unofficially had resulted from two years without support for the Greening initiative. 



In 2022, the first Global Greening was replaced with a political message in support of Ukraine. In respect for the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Global Greening organizers demurred in coloring the monuments blue and yellow, the colors of the Ukrainian flag. However noble the government of Ireland felt the cause of Ukrainian sovereignty was, the fact remained that replacing the greening with blue and yellow was a political statement that had nothing to do with representing Ireland's soft power initiative. 

In 2023, missions were encouraged to pause the green-lighting to conserve energy, stating: "For 2023, given the current energy crisis, Tourism Ireland has taken the decision not to promote the Global Greening initiative." The irony of using energy for a campaign called "greening" had a certain irony to it, not missed on its critics. Still, cancelling the Global Greening amounted to little more than "greenwashing" on the Irish government's part because the energy involved is negligible. Science Foundation Ireland's Science Director Dr Ruth Freeman, interviewed on Pat Kennys Green Scene national television RTÉ, called the cancellation little more than tokenism: “I mean look, an LED light uses very, very little power... You're talking about 0.01 of a kilowatt for an hour so it is not going to be huge energy use – and these things are probably going to be lit up anyway."  

This post is only on the greening movement and its demise. For more on the holiday and how it is celebrated in terms of religion, please see my post Saint Patrick's Day: Some Background to the Holiday  For how the holiday is celebrated with parades, river dying and the like around the world, please see my post  Saint Patrick's Day Parades and Celebrations Around the World.

The Global Greening Movement at Its Height

What follows is a list of those monuments greenlit up until 2021 divided by region and country.  
The list is in order of number of monuments in the greening with those countries with over 10, then by region for the remainder. After Ireland itself, the United States leads the world with 78 greenlit buildings and monuments. The remaining top six (with over 20) are as follows:  Poland second with 53 greenlit sites;  France third with 46 greenlit;  the United Kingdom fourth with 36, Germany, fifth with 29;   Canada fifth with 27, and the United Arab Emirates sixth with 21.  Additionally, separately listed here are the nations with 10 or more:  Italy, Australia, Spain, China, Belgium, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates.
    United States (78)
         
    Arkansas
    •    Junction Bridge pedestrian walkway, Little Rock
    •    Main Street bridge, Little Rock     
    California
    •    City Hall, San Francisco
    •    San Francisco International Airport (international terminal) 


    San Francisco City Hall lit green 

    Colorado
    •    City Hall, Denver
    •    Reunion Tower, Denver
    Florida
    •   Ringling Bridge, Sarasota
    •   Hillsborough River, Tampa 
    Georgia
    •    Atlanta City Hall, Atlanta
    •    Woodruff Park Fountain, Atlanta
    •    Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, Savannah
    •    City Hall, Savannah
    •    Forsyth Park Fountain, Savannah
    Illinois     
    •    Chicago Board of Trade Building, Chicago
    •    Civic Opera House, Chicago 
    •    Irish American Heritage Center, Chicago 
    •    John Hancock Center, Chicago
    •    Novak Construction, Chicago
    •    Odyssey Chicago River (cruise boat) 
    •    One Prudential Plaza, Chicago
    •    Soldier Field, Chicago
    •    United Center, Chicago
    •    Wrigley Building, Chicago
    Maryland
    •    Guinness Open Gate Brewery and Barrel House, Baltimore 
    Massachusetts 
    •    Boston City Hall
    •    Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge, Boston 
    •    Fenway Park, Boston 
    •    TD Garden, Boston 
    •    Kenneth F. Burns Memorial Bridge, Worcester 
    Missouri
    •    Kansas City Power and Light Building
    •    Tower Park, Kansas City
    •    Union Station, Kansas City 
    Greenlit Empire State Building, New York
    New Mexico
    •    University of New Mexico, Albuquerque 
    •    Wells Fargo Building, Albuquerque 
    New York  
    •    Albany International Airport Gateway
    •    Alfred E. Smith Office Building, Albany
    •    H. Carl McCall SUNY Building, Albany
    •    State Education Building, Albany
    •    Main Street Lift Bridge, Fairport
    •    Grand Central Terminal, New York City
    •    Empire State Building, New York City
    •    Kosciusko Bridge, New York City
    •    One World Trade Center, New York City
    •    FDR Mid-Hudson Bridge, Poughkeepsie
    •    Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, Rockland/Westchester
    •    New York State Fairgrounds Main Gate and Expo Center, Syracuse
    •    Aisling Irish Community Center, Yonkers
    Nevada
    •    ‘Welcome’ sign, Las Vegas
    •    High Roller at The LINQ, Las Vegas
    •    La Concha Visitors Center, Las Vegas
    •    Plaza Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas 
    •    The Neon Museum, Las Vegas 
    •    The Palazzo, Las Vegas 
    •    The Venetian, Las Vegas
    Pennsylvania
    •    BNY Mellon Center, Philadelphia
    •    Cira Center, Philadelphia
    •    City Hall, Philadelphia
    •    Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia
    •    One & Two Liberty Center, Philadelphia
    •    Strawberry Mansion Bridge, Philadelphia
    South Carolina
    •    Ashley River Memorial Bridge, Charleston 
    Tennessee
    •    AT&T Building (known as the ‘Batman Building’), Nashville 
    •    Bridgestone Arena, Nashville 
    •    Grand Ole Opry, Nashville 
    •    John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, Nashville
    •    Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge, Nashville 
    •    Metro Historic Courthouse, Nashville 
    •    Nissan Stadium, Nashville 
    •    The Parthenon, Nashville     
    •    Tennessee Supreme Court Building, Nashville 
    Texas
    •    Butterfly Bridge, Austin 
    •    Harbor Bridge, Corpus Christi
    •    Omni Dallas Hotel, Dallas
    •    Reunion Tower, Dallas
    •    City Hall, Houston 
    •    Alamo Quarry Market, San Antonio
    •    Bank of America, San Antonio
    •    Tower of the Americas, San Antonio
     Washington
    •    Pacific Science Center, Seattle


    Poland (52)
    •    Hotel President, Bielsko-Biala 
    •    University Bridge, Bydgoszcz
    •    Kosciuszki Street Bridge, Gdańsk
    •    Uczniowska Street Bridge, Gdańsk
    •    Baszta Dorotka (Dorothy Tower), Kalisz 
    •    Centre of Culture and Art, Kalisz 
    •    City Hall, Kalisz
    •    Spodek (arena), Katowice
    •    City Hall, Kielce 
    •    Galeria Echo (shopping centre), Kielce 
    •    Regional Cultural Centre, Kielce 
    •    Father Bernatek (Kladka Bernatka) footbridge, Kraków
    •    Lipska Street flyover, Kraków
    •    Tauron Arena, Kraków 
    •    Manufaktura, Łódź 
    •    OFF Piotrkowska (shopping mall), Łódź
    •    TME Office Centre, Łódź 
    •    Arena Lublin
    •    Centre for the Meeting of Cultures, Lublin
    •    Museum of Malbork
    •    Amphitheatre, Olsztyn 
    •    Astronomical Observatory Tower, Olsztyn 
    •    City Hall Tower, Olsztyn 
    •    National Centre of Polish Song, Opole 
    •    Adam Mickiewicz University (main auditorium), Poznań 
    •    Archaeological Museum, Poznań
    •    Bishop Jordan Bridge, Poznań
    •    City Hall, Poznań
    •    Grand Theatre, Poznań
    •    Honorary Consulate of Ireland building, Poznań 
    •    Poznań Główny (railway station) 
    •    Raczyński Library, Poznań
    •    Brama Przemyska Bridge, Przemyśl 
    •    City Hall, Rzeszów
    •    City Hall, Toruń
    •    Palace of Culture and Science, Warsaw
    •    Browar Bojańczyków Cultural Centre, Wloclawek
    •    Marshal Edward Rydz-Śmigły bridge, Wloclawek
    •    Centennial Hall, Wrocław
    •    Contemporary Museum, Wrocław 
    •    Grunwaldzki Bridge, Wrocław
    •    Krzesło Kantora (chair sculpture), Wrocław 
    •    Lower Silesian Governor's Office, Wrocław 
    •    National Museum, Wrocław 
    •    Opera House, Wrocław  
    •    Stadion Wrocław  
    •    Town Hall, Wrocław 

    Wroclaw Opera House in green
    •    University Bridge, Wrocław  
    •    University of Wrocław  
    •    Wrocław Główny (railway station) 
    •    Szyb Maciej, Zabrze

    •    City Hall, Zamość 

    France (46)
    •    Hôtel de Ville, Athis Mons 
    •    Mairie de Bayeux 
    •    Arkéa Arena, Bordeaux
    •    Château de la Ligne, Bordeaux 
    •    Porte de Bourgogne, Bordeaux
    •    Hôtel de Ville, Bressuire 
    •    Centre d’art La Malmaison, Cannes
    •    Hôtel de Ville, Cannes 
    •    La Croisette, Cannes 
    •    Musée de la Castre, Cannes 
    •    Le Suquet, Cannes
    •    Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, Cannes 
    •    Pont Guilvinec-Treffiagat 
    •    Basilique Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours, Guingamp 
    •    Château de Pierre II, Guingamp 
    •    Badhus Kaysersberg 
    •    Château de Kaysersberg 
    •    Mairie de Kaysersberg 
    •    Pont Fortifié, Kayserberg 
    •    Château de Beaulieu, Saumur, Loire Valley 
    •    Astroballe, Lyon
    •    Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, Lyon
    •    Le Palais de Justice, Lyon
    •    Musée des Confluences, Lyon
    •    Le Palais de Justice, Lyon
    •    Opéra de Marseille 
    •    École primaire publique Pierre Jakez Hélias, Mellac 
    •    Église Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens, Mellac
    •    Hôtel de Ville, Mellac
    •    Aéroport Montpellier Méditerrannée 
    •    Fitzpatrick’s Irish Pub, Montpellier 
    •    Opéra Comédie, Montpellier 
    •    Beaugrenelle (shopping centre), Paris
    •    Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris
    •    Château de la Muette (headquarters of the OECD), Paris 
    Sacré-Coeur greenlit in Paris
    •    Drugstore Publicis, Paris
    •    Galeries Lafayette, Paris 
    •    Irish Embassy, Paris
    •    Pari Roller (street skating event), Paris 
    •    Roue de Paris (Ferris Wheel of Paris), Paris
    •    Sacré-Coeur, Paris
    •    Sleeping Beauty castle at Disneyland Paris 
    •    La Vallée Village, near Paris 
    •    Hôtel de Ville, Saint-Mandé 
    •    Beatus Rhenanus bridge, Strasbourg (and on the German side of the bridge, in Kehl) 
    •    La Mairie, Villeurbanne
    United Kingdom (36)

    England
    •    Bamburgh Castle, Bamburgh 
    •    Blackpool Tower, Blackpool
     •   Library of Birmingham, Birmingham
    •    Selfridges, Birmingham
    •    Bournemouth Pier  
    •    British Airways i360, Brighton  
    •    Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol
    •    Leeds Civic Hall  
    •    Leeds Town Hall  
    •    National Space Centre, Leicester  
    •    George's Dock Building, Liverpool 
    •    St Luke's 'Bombed Out' Church, Liverpool 
    •    Blue Whale Skeleton of Natural History Museum, London 
    •    Cutty Sark, London 
    The London Eye greenlit
    •    London Eye, London
    •    Lord’s Pavilion, London
    •    The Old Vic, London
    •    The National Theatre, London
    •    Nelson’s Column, London  
    •    Tower 42, London
    •    Trafalgar Square Fountains, London    
    •    Selfridges, London 
    •    St. Bede's College, Manchester
    •    Trafford Center, Manchester
    •    Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne   
    •    City Hall, Norwich    
    •    Wollaton Hall, Nottingham
    •    Emirates Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth 
    •    Stoke Park Golf Club - Buckinghamshire, Stoke Poges
    •    City Walls, York  
      Cornwall
      •    Eden Project, St. Blaizey  
      •    St Michael's Mount, Marazion 
        Scotland
        •   Caird Hall, Dundee
        •   Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow
        •   Riverside Museum, Glasgow  
        •   Titanic Museum, Glasgow   

        Wales
        •    Caerphilly Castle, Caerphilly
        Germany (29)

        •    Funkturm Berlin
        •    Reichsburg Cochem 
        •    Excelsior Hotel Ernst, Cologne 
        •    Lanxess Arena, Cologne 
        •    Lighthouse, Düsseldorf
        •    Kulturforum Logenhaus, Erlangen 
        •    Altes Rathaus, Gescher
        •    McKiernan's Irish Café, Gescher 
        •    St Antonius Kapelle, Gescher 
        •    Rathaus, Grafenwöhr 
        •    Stadthalle, Grafing 
        •    ‘Fridolin’ the carp statue, Höchstadt an der Aisch   
        ‘Fridolin’ the carp greenlit
        Höchstadt an der Aisch


         
        •    Ingolstadt Village, Ingolstadt 
        •    Irish pub, Limberg 
        •    Alten Küsterhaus, Meerbusch-Bäderich 
        •    Allianz Arena Munich 
        •    Hard Rock Cafe, Munich 
        •    Odeonplatz, Munich 
        •    Olympic Tower, Munich
        •    Offene Kirche St. Klara, Nürnberg 
        •    Heidecksburg Castle, Rudolstadt 
        •    Hotel Bell Rock (Europa Park), Rust
        •    Königsbau, Stuttgart 
        •    Maria-Ward-Schule, Würzburg 
        •    Matthias-Grünewald-Gymnasium, Würzburg 
        •    Neumünster church, Würzburg 
        •    Rathaus, Würzburg
        •    Riemenschneider-Gymnasium, Würzburg 
        •    Wertheim Village, near Würzburg 

        Canada (27)
        Alberta
        •    Calgary Tower, Calgary
              
        British Columbia
        •    The Cariboo Sentinel (newspaper) shop, Baskerville 
        •    Sails of Light at Canada Place, Vancouver
        •    Whistler Ski Resort, Whistler
             
        Newfoundland and Labrador
          •    Cabot Tower on Signal Hill, St John’s 
             
        Nova Scotia
        •    The Big Fiddle of the Ceilidh (Fidheal Mhor A’ Ceilidh), Cape Breton Island
            
        Ontario
        •    PolarBear Habitat, Cochrane
        •    World's Largest Chair, Muskoka, Gravenhurst \
        •    Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa
        •    Niagara Falls (on both the Canadian and US sides)
        •    The Big Nickel, Sudbury
        •    Breakfast Television Studio, Toronto
        •    Casa Loma, Toronto
        •    City Hall, Toronto
        •    CN Tower, Toronto
        •    Courtyard by Marriott, Toronto
        •    The Distillery District, Toronto
        •    Turbo the Goat, Toronto
        •    The Wawa Goose, Wawa 
             
        Québec
        •    City Hall (Hôtel de Ville), Montréal
        •    Complexe Desjardins, Montréal
        •    McGill Tower (La Tour McGill), Montréal
        •    McTavish Resevoir (Réservoir McTavish), Montréal
        •    Olympic Stadium (Stade Olympique), Montréal
        •    St. Patrick's Basilica (Basilique Saint-Patrick), Montréal
        •    Verdun Borough Hall (Mairie d'arrondissement de Verdun), Montréal  
           
        Saskatchewan
        •    Mac the Moose, Moosejaw, Saskatchewan

        United Arab Emirates (21)

        An expanse of the desert itself lit green in Dubai

        •    Abu Dhabi University -- Al Ain Campus
        •    Arabian desert, Dubai
        •    Edition in Al Bateen Marina, Abu Dhabi
        •    InterContinental Abu Dhabi 
        •    Nation Towers, Abu Dhabi 
        •    Yas Viceroy Hotel, Abu Dhabi
        •    Burj Al Arab, Dubai
        •    Burj Khalifa, Dubai 
        •    Cayan Tower, Dubai 
        •    Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, Dubai 
        •    Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, Dubai
        •    Global Village, Dubai
        •    Emerald Palace Kempinski, Dubai
        •    Emirates Golf Club, Dubai 
        •    Holiday Inn Festival City, Dubai
        •    Intercontinental Hotel Festival City, Dubai
        •    Palm Fountain, Dubai  
        •    Palm Jumeirah Monorail, Dubai
        •    Retreat Palm by Sofitel, Dubai
        •    Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah, Dubai
        •    Hilton Garden Inn. Ras Al Khaimah

        Burj Khalifa, Duba -- The world's tallest building goes green



        Italy (19)


        •    Teatro Alfonso Rendano, Cosenza
        •    Cascata Isola del Liri  
        •    Cisternino di città, Livorno  
        •    Gazebo di Terrazza Mascagni, Livorno  
        •    Piazza Mercurio, Massa
        •    Il Palazzo ex Convento dell’Annunziata, Matera  
        •    Fidenza Village, near Milan 
        •    Il Palazzo del Modesta, Modesta  
        •    Castel dell'Ovo, Naples  
        •    Castel Nuovo, Naples  
        •    Fortezza Albornoz, Orvieto  
        •    Il Pozzo di San Patrizio (St Patrick’s Well), Orvieto
        •    Palazzo Municipale Orvieto  
        •    Leaning Tower of Pisa
        •    Castello Aragonese, Reggio Calabria
        •    Room of the Riace Bronzes in the Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Reggio Calabria 
        •    Colosseum, Rome
        •    Irish Embassy (Villa Spada), Rome
        •    Mole Antonelliana, Torino
        Colosseum greenlit in Rome



        Australia (19)


        •    The Big Kangaroo (‘Rooey II’), Border Village 
        •    Irish Embassy, Canberra
        •    The National Carillon, Canberra  


        National Carillon, Canberra, in green
        •    Telstra Tower, Canberra  
        •    The Big Banana, Coffs Harbour
        •    The Big Merino Sheep, Goldburn
        •    Star Observation Wheel, Melbourne 
        •    Victoria State Library, Melbourne
        •    Bell Tower, Perth
        •    Council House, Perth
        •    Crown Perth  
        •    Elizabeth Quay, Perth
        •    Matagarup Bridge, Perth  
        •    Optus Stadium, Perth
        •    Perth Airport
        •    Yagan Square, Perth
        •    Sydney Opera House
        •    Town Hall, Sydney
        •    State Library of New South Wales, Sydney



        Spain (14 )


        Madrid's Cibeles Fountain shining green
        •    La Roca Village, near Barcelona 
        •    San Mamés stadium, Bilbao 
        •    Tower of Hércules, A Coruña, Galicia 
        •    Cibeles Fountain, Madrid 
        •    Puerta de Alcalá, Madrid 
        •    La Rozas Village, near Madrid 
        •    Marbella arches
        •    Fuente de los Tres Barcos, Marbella  
        •    Puente Santo Cristo del Amor, Marbella   
        •    Town Hall, Marbella  
        •    Capilla de San Patricio, Pancar
        •    Ayuntamiento, Santander  
        •    Ayuntamiento, Tortosa 
        •    Puente del Tortosa, Tortosa

        China (11)
        Great Wall of China greenlit

        •    Great Wall of China
        •    Canton Tower, Guangzhou
        •    The Clock Tower, Hong Kong 
        •    ‘Niki’ Cathay Pacific DC-3 airplane, Hong Kong 
        •    Ruins of St Paul’s, Macau
        •    218 Building, Qujing, Yunnan 
        •    Grand Kempinski Hotel, Shanghai 
        •    Mercedes-Benz Arena, Shanghai 
        •    Shanghai Village 
        •    Suzhou Culture and Arts Center 
        •    Suzhou Village 
        Belgium (11)

        •    Burg, BrugesGrand Place, Brussels
        •    Anspach (shopping gallery), Brussels
        •    Royal Galleries of St Hubert, Brussels 
        •    Manneken Pis statue, Brussels (“dressed” in Irish costume)
        •    Smurf Statue, Brussels
        •    Celtic Cross, Fontenoy 
        •    Maasmechelen Village, Genk
        •    Irish College, Leuven 
        •    Belfry, Mons
        •    Lille Gate, Ypres


        Mexico (10)


        •    Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, Cholula
        •    Los Arcos (Minerva Monument), Guadalajara 
        •    Municipal Palace, Guadalajara 
        •    Paseo de Chapultepec, Guadalajara 
        •    Rotonda de los Jaliscienses Ilustres, Guadalajara 
        •    Alvaro Obregón Monument, Mexico City
        •    El Angel de la Indepencía, Mexico City


        El Angel de la Indepencía
        •    Monument of the Niños Héroes, Mexico City
        •    Municipal Palace, Mexico City
        •    Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City




        Other Europe (92)

        Albania
        •    Clock Tower of Tirana 
        Austria
        •    Burgtheater, Vienna
        •    Bridges on the Danube Canal, Vienna
        •    Wiener Riesenrad, Vienna
        •    Bergiselschanze (ski jump), Innsbruck
        •    SkiWelt Söll


        Burgtheater, Vienna in green

        Bulgaria
        •    National Palace of Culture (NDK), Sofia
        •    St Cyril and St Methodius University of Veliko Turnovo 
        Croatia
        •    Sponza Palace, Dubrovnik 
        •    Molo Longo, Rijeka 
        •    Trsat Castle, Rijeka
        •    Fountains in Republic Square, Split 
        •    Church of St Donatus, Zadar 
        •    Klovićevi Dvori Gallery, Zagreb 
        •    Meštrović Pavilion, Zagreb 
        •    Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb
        •    Zagreb fountains, Zagreb
        Cyprus
        •    Town Hall, Nicosia 
        Czech Republic
        •    Mahen Theater, Brno  
        •    City Hall, Ostrava
        •    Dancing House, Prague
        •    Petrin Lookout Tower Prague
        Denmark
        Copenhagen's Little Mermaid
        goes green for St. Patrick's Day
        •    Bryggebroen bridge, Copenhagen 
        •    Den Blå Planet (national aquarium), Copenhagen
        •    GreenKayak clean-up, Copenhagen 
        •    Industriens Hus (home of the Confederation of Danish Industry), Copenhagen 
        •    Little Mermaid Harbor Statue, Copenhagen
        •    Radisson Collection Royal Hotel, Copenhagen
        Estonia
        •    Skywheel Ferris Wheel, Tallinn
        •    TV Tower, Tallinn 
        •    Vabaduse Väljak (Freedom Square), Tallinn 
        Finland
        •    The Drunken Sauna, Kirkkonummi
        The Drunken Sauna, Kirkkonummi

        •    Radio Towers, Lahti 
        •    Polar Bear Pitching, Oulu 
        •    Näsinneula (observation tower), Tampere

        Georgia
        •    TV Tower, Tbilisi
        Greece
        •   Arch of Hadrian, Athens
        •   Stathatos Mansion of the Museum of Cycladic Art, Athens
        Hungary
        •    Chain Bridge, Budapest 
        •    Müpa Budapest
        •    Jedlik Ányos Bridge, Györ 
        •    Felszabadulási emlékmű (Liberty monument), Szombathely
        Iceland
        •    Perlan, Reykjavík 
        Luxembourg
        •    Hôtel de Ville, Luxembourg City
        Malta
        •    Forti Sant’Anġlu, Birgu
        •    Porte des Bombes, Floriana
        •    Love Monument, St. Julian's
        Monaco
        •    Prince’s Palace of Monaco
        The Netherlands
        •    Museumplein I "heart" Amsterdam Sign, Amsterdam
        •    Splendor Amsterdam
        •    St Patrick’s Bike Parade, Amsterdam 
        •    Uilenburgersjoel, Amsterdam
        •    De Grote Kerk (and Statue of Admiral Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam), The Hague
        •    SkyView Scheveningen Pier, The Hague
        •    Kissing Couple, Hempont (on bike path between Amsterdam and Zaandam)
        •    Windmill, Weert
        Kissing Couple, Hempont


        Norway
        •    Mt. Ulriken TV Mast, Bergen
        Portugal
        •    Cristo Rei statue, Lisbon
        •    Museu Condes de Castro Guimarães, Cascais
        •    Castelo de Torres Vedras
        Russia
        •    Central Telegraph building, Moscow
        •    Izvestia Hall, Moscow
        •    Rossiya Theatre, Moscow 
        Serbia
        •    Ada Bridge (Most na Adi), Belgrade 
        •    Palace Albanija, Belgrade 
        •    Hotel Moskva, Belgrade
        •    Canadian Embassy, Belgrade
        •    Glavna Pošta (main post office), Belgrade
        •    House of the National Assembly of Serbia Narodna Skupstina, Belgrade 
        •    Narodni Muzej (National Museum), Belgrade ]
        Slovak Republic
        •    Divadlo Aréna, Bratislava ]
        •    New building of the Slovak National Theatre, Bratislava
        •    Radisson Blu Carlton Hotel, Bratislava
        •    Andrej Bagar Theatre, Nitra 
        •    Chrenovský most (bridge), Nitra 
        •    City Hall, Trnava 
        •    Trnava University (pedagogy faculty), Trnava 
        Slovenia
        •    Ljubljana Castle, Ljubljana
        Sweden
        •    Absolut Home, Åhus 
        •    Vasa warship, Stockholm 
        Switzerland
        •    The Rhine Falls, near Zurich                     
        •    Smilestones (indoor miniature world at The Rhine Falls), near Zurich 

        Other Asia/Pacific (19 with 3 new)

        Japan
        •    Shizuoka Stadium ECOPA, Fukuroi, Shizuoka Prefecture 
        •    Ise Ohtorii, Ise City  
        •    Karakora Art Studio, Matsue
        •    Matsue Castle, Matsue
        •    Cosmo Clock 21 Ferris Wheel, Yokahoma
        •    Yokohama Marine Tower, Naka Ward, Yokohama 


        Matsue Castle greenlit
        Malaysia
        •    Straits Quay Lighthouse, Penang
        New Zealand
        •    Sky Tower, Auckland 
        •    Chief Post Office, Auckland
        •    Eden Park, Auckland 
        •    War Memorial, Auckland 
        •    Christchurch Airport, Christchurch
        •    New Brighton Pier, Christchurch
        •    Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington
        Singapore
        •    Chijmes, Singapore *
        South Korea
        •    Busan Cinema Center, Busan 
        •    Busan Tower, Busan *
        •    City Hall, Seoul
        Vietnam 
        •    Pen Monument, Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi 
        •    Meliá Hanoi hotel, Hanoi 

        Other Middle East (8)

        Egypt
        •    The Pyramids, Giza
        •    The Sphinx, Giza
        Israel
        •    Sammy Ofer Stadium, Haifa
        •    Water Tower, Ramat Gan
        •    City Hall, Tel Aviv
        Lebanon
        •    Nejmeh Square, Beirut
        Qatar
        •    Barahat Msheireb, Doha
        Turkey
        •    Atakule Tower, Ankara 


        Other Latin America (13)

        Argentina
        •    Kirchner Cultural Centre, Buenos Aires 
        •    Lavalle Street, Buenos Aires
        •    Obelisk of Buenos Aires
        Brazil
        •    Christ the Redeemer Statue, Rio de Janeiro
        •    Cathedral of Brasília, Brasília
        •    Teatro Amazonas, Manaus  


        Christ the Redeemer Statue greenlit overlooking Rio

        Chile
        •    Statue of the Virgin Mary, Serro San Cristobal
        Colombia
        •    Santuario de Monserrate, Bogotá 
        •    Torre Colpatria, Bogotá 
        •    Cerro de las Tres Cruces, Cali 
        Paraguay
        •    López Presidential Palace (Palacio de los López), Asunción 
        •    Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, Asunción
        Uruguay
        •    Gate of the Citadel, Montevideo 

        Africa (8)
        Ahmed the Elephant, Nairobi
        Ethiopia 
        •    Lion of Judah Statue, Addis Ababa
        •    Bete Giyorgis (Church of Saint George), Lalibela 
        Kenya
        •    Ahmed the Elephant Statue of the National Museum, Nairobi
        •    Leopard statue called ‘Chiu’ (made from re-cycled scrap metal), Nairobi 
        Sierra Leone
        •    The Cotton Tree, Freetown 
        South Africa
        •    Nelson Mandela Statue, Johannesburg
        Uganda
        •    Source of the Nile Bridge, Jinja *
        Zambia
        •    Victoria Falls 






        Closing Comments

        As always, I am delighted to hear your thoughts on this. If you have any points I should add, please let me know for the future... or if you just want to say that you liked this (or not), I would love to hear from you. 

        Also, if you would like to share a tradition in your family or just give mention to a St. Patrick's Day parade or festivity in your hometown, please feel free to add it in the comments section.

        Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!




        Want To Learn More?

        Borgna Brunner, "St. Patrick's Day: Until Recently, More Dallas Than Dublin -- A Short History of the Holiday": http://www.infoplease.com/spot/stpatsintro1.html


        Catholic Saints.net, "Saint Patrick": http://www.stpatrick.name/

        Mary Anne Cusack, Saint Patrick (from An Illustrated History of Ireland), Library Ireland: http://www.libraryireland.com/HistoryIreland/St-Patrick.php

        "Patrician Power," Ireland of the Welcomes, Jan/Feb 2012, pp. 14-19.
        "Saint Patrick," Catholic Online: http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=89

        Saint Patricks Day.com: http://stpatricksday.com/

        "Saint Patrick in America/St. Patrick's Festival in Dublin," Ireland of the Welcomes, March/April 2012, pp. 14-19.

        Saint Patrick's Day Parade.com: http://www.saintpatricksdayparade.com/\\

        Tourism Ireland, "Green Lights Go Global for St. Patrick's Day Celebrations!" (March 15, 2019), https://www.tourismireland.com/Press-Releases/2019/March/Green-lights-go-global-for-St-Patrick%E2%80%99s-celebratio

        Clip Art and Photo Sources