Purim 2024

The evening of Saturday, March 23 (for 2024) marks the beginning of the Jewish festival of Purim.  As with all Jewish holidays, Purim runs from sunset to sunset, so the holiday closes at sunset on Sunday, March 24.Purim celebrates the story of the Biblical Book of Esther. This post first gives the background to the meaning of the holiday from the Book of Esther, then explains the way that the holiday of Purim is celebrated by Jews from around the world.

The Story of the Book of Esther

The Book of Esther recounts the saving of the Jews of ancient Persia from the plot of the vizier Haman to kill all Jews in the land. Haman had planned to kill all the Jews in Persia. He was angered because a Jew named Mordechai had refused to bow down before him.   
 

Marc Chagall's Esther (1960) Musée national Message Biblique, Nice

Mordechai’s niece was Esther (her Persian name; her Hebrew name was Hadassah). Esther became the queen of the Persian King Ahashueras (alternatively spelled Ahasueras). 

Mordechai had thwarted a plot on the king's life soon after Esther's rise to the throne, but the king was unaware of this and Haman disregards this obsessing instead on the fact that Mordechai refuses to bow down to Haman (because this is prohibited in his faith).  Outraged, Haman lays out plans for the slaughter of all Jews in Persia (at the time, home to most Jews in the world). Only Esther had the ability to thwart the plan; however, to do so, she would have to approach the king uninvited, an act that -- if it displeased the king -- carried the death penalty. Despite this, Esther risked her life to reveal that she was a Jew herself and that Haman’s plan to kill the Jews would mean her death as well. Purim is the holiday commemorating this.

Xerxes I, the Biblical Ahashueras

The Historical Setting

While some debate exists over who Ahashueras really was, he is generally ascribed as being Xerxes I who ruled Persia from 486-465 BCE.

At the time, the Persian empire was the largest empire in the world, stretching from present-day Iran in the east to Egypt in the west and covering the entire fertile crescent (modern Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Israel), Babylonia (present-day Iraq), all of Asia Minor (including what is now Turkey and Armenia), Bactria (including all of present-day Afghanistan and Tajikistan as well as much of what is now Pakistan and Uzbekistan) and Thrace (including Macedonia and much of Greece and what is now Bulgaria).

The Persian Empire at the time of Xerxes I

The Question of Assimilation and Communal Loyalty

Aert de Gelder's Esther and Mordechai (1685) Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest

The Book of Esther for Jews is a controversial book  to the extent that it centers on a highly assimilated Jew. Esther's name itself is one that reflects assimilation to the surrounding Persian culture, deriving as it does from the Persian goddess Ishtar (her Hebrew name is Hadassah). 

The Book of Esther is also the only book in the Jewish Bible that never once mentions God directly, a point that underscores the issue of assimilation.  Indeed, the central act of bravery in the book is that Esther might have saved herself by keeping her Jewish identity a secret while letting the Jewish people fall victim to Haman's plot. She is convinced to act only when her uncle Mordechai argues the point with her:

“Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther, 4:13-14

Esther, in turn, asks Mordechai to call a fast for all Jews for three days before the king, risking her life. 

Esther Before the King

Esther's decision is no small choice. Ahashueras had already dispatched of the previous queen for what was essentially a very small offense. Indeed, Esther is so afraid that she faints in his presence. This is the theme of Tintoretto's famous painting of Esther.

 

Tintoretto, Esther Before Ahasueras (1547-48) Royal Art Collection, Windsor

King Ahashueras, in response, asks why she has come and assures her that he will not be angry. By contrast asking her

"What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom.” Esther, 5:3

Esther before Ahashueras Illumination in Biblia Pauperum, Hesdin of Amien, ca. 1450

Instead of telling the king outright, she asks him to prepare a feast for Haman and which she and the king alone would attend. While there at the feast, she assures him, she will then give the king her request. 

When Haman was invited, he was overjoyed that he was being honored to dine with the king and queen alone. At the same time, his joy was dampened when he saw Mordechai sitting in the gate. At wife's suggestion, Haman orders a gallows to be built so that Haman can be hanged on the very day that he is going to meet with the king and queen. 

Ironically, the king during a bout of insomnia had been going over palace records and, just the night before, had read about how Mordechai had earlier thwarted a plot against his life and that nothing had been done to honor him. As a result, just as Haman approached the king to tell him about the gallows he had constructed, the king asked Haman for advice on how to honor a special man. 
 

Esther and Ahashueras (ca. 1240) Ste. Chapelle Cathedral, Paris

Thinking the man to be honored would be himself, Haman suggests that the man be led through the streets on the king's horse dressed in the king's clothes and so on. The king then surprised Haman by saying that Haman should do all that he had described for Mordechai, the man he wants to honor. 
 

Rembrandt's Ahashuerus and Haman at the Feast of Esther (1660) Pushkin Museum, Moscow

Still fuming with anger over this affront in honoring the hated Jew, Haman then goes off that evening to the feast set for him by the king and queen. At the feast, the king turns to Esther and asks her finally to tell him what she requests and he will give it to her even up to half of his kingdom. 

Esther asks only for her life, saying that she along with all the Jews are to be killed by official order. In tears she explains that she would not have asked him had the order been only for enslavement. 

Enraged, Ahashueras asks her who is responsible for this and Esther tells him that it is Haman. The king then orders Haman and his family hanged on the gallows that Haman himself had built for Mordechai.. He then gave Mordechai Haman's position, and the Jews were saved and the kingdom well ruled after that.

Peter Paul Rubens,  Esther Before Ahashueras (1606) Courtauld Gallery, London

Differing Views of Esther's Heroism

For centuries, Esther has been revered as a heroine in both Jewish and Christian ideals. In Jewish ideal, she could have chosen to hide the fact that she was a Jew to save herself. That she did not but risked  everything to save her people is the source of her heroism. 

While Esther is similarly admired in Christian theology for this act of heroism, in Christian interpretation, she foreshadows the Virgin Mary who would plead for souls on the Day of Judgment. 

In current times, however, Esther's status as an ideal heroine has come under debate in some circles among both Jews and Christians. Considerable controversy exists over the nature of how Esther came to the throne. Esther had won the king's favor after winning an empire-wide beauty contest to replace the previous queen, Vashti, who had fallen out of favor with Ahashueras.

Nicholas Poussin's Esther Before Ahashueras (1640) The Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia It should be emphasized that both because of both the fact that Esther was the epitome of feminine beauty (she won the Empire-wide beauty contest, after all) as well as the drama of her story and its religious ideal, Esther has been a very popular subject among the greatest masters of Western art.

In art historical as well as social terms, it is interesting to view how artists have depicted Esther over time to represent the ideal of beauty of their day.

In Sir John Everett Millais' Esther (1885)
the artist famously used the Emperor of China's
robe given to General George Gordon as a gift

Some of the artists who have depicted Esther include Tintoretto, Paolo Veronese, Filippo Lippi, Rembrandt, Artemisia Gentileschi, Nicolas Poussin, Antoine Coypel, Jan Lievens, Aedrt de Gelder, Peter Paul Rubens, Jan Steen, Gustave Dore, Sir John Everett Millais, Marc Chagall, Salvador Dali and many others.

Jan Steen's Esther, Ahasuerus, and Haman (1661
Cleveland Museum of Art

Purim Observances and Customs

 General Observances
 

Megillah scroll

On Purim, Jews around the world read the Book of Esther from a special scroll called a Megillah. Because Hebrew does not transliterate directly to English, the scroll is alternatively spelled with one "l" or two, with or without the final "h" and beginning "Ma" or"Me"). Whatever the spelling, it is the same thing: the Book of Esther.  Unlike the Torah scroll, the Megillah is a special second-handled scroll. 

Blotting Out The Name of Haman

While the Megillah is read at synagogues or temples to celebrate the holiday,  whenever the name of Haman is mentioned in the readings, the listeners are supposed to drown out the evil man's name. As a result, the holiday is very noisy and festive.

A grogger

The Americas and Israel

In much of the world, including the Jews of the United States, Canada,  Latin America and Israel, celebrants use a special noisemaker called a grogger (or alternatively called a gragger or gregger) to blot out the name of Haman.  The grogger is a ratchet on the end of a stick, usually made of wood or sheet metal (put in recent times from plastic as well). Each time Haman's name is spoken, the ratchet is spun in a circle making a loud, clacking sound.

France

Among many French Jews, the noise to drown out Haman's name comes in the form of clacking stones together. On the face of the stone is written or etched the name of Haman. In this way, each time the stones are struck together, Haman's name is effaced. By the end of the Megillah reading, the name has been blotted out audibly by the sound but also visually erased on the stone.

Germany

Before the Holocaust, it was the custom of German Jews to light candles in the synagogue. A picture of Haman was drawn on one with his name written out and of Haman's wife Zeresh and her name on the other. The candles would be lit at the start of the holiday and the images of Haman and his wife would be effaced as they melted away.   

In a sad side note, the Nazi regime had a particular hatred for the holiday of Purim. Hitler believed that Haman was a great hero for having attempted the first genocide of the Jews, and he proudly saw himself as the successor. The Nazis made a point of using Purim as an occasion for the public killing of Jews. The anti-Semitic Nazi propagandist Julius Streicher proclaimed Kristallnacht as a payback for the death of those who plotted against the Jews in ancient Persia. Streicher, when he was sentenced to death for his crimes against humanity in the Nuremberg Trials, shouted out "Purim Fest 1946!"

Morocco

In Morocco, Jews bake a special bread called Haman's Eyes (and known alternatively as Einei Haman, Ojos de Haman or Khubz di Purim).  

Moroccan Haman's Eyes Purim Bread with Full Face of Haman

The bread is decorated with almonds and contains two hard-boiled eggs as eyes. The eggs are held in place with a strip of dough. It is customary to cut the bread to divide the "eyes" so everyone gets a piece of egg with their bread. 

In some cases, the bread is made into an entire head of Haman, replete with a full face and poppyseed beard (as in the version shown at left)
 

Moroccan Haman's Eyes Purim Brea

In other variations, the face is more something to imagine, with the eggs simply symbolizing the eyes of Haman (as shown at right).  

In either tradition, the eating of the bread is a means of effacing Haman's memory. It is often customary to provide pieces of the bread to the poor. A recipe for the full-face version of Moroccan Haman's Eyes bread can be found 

http://www.ou.org/shabbat_shalom/column/ojos_de_haman_the_eyes_of_haman/

Bukharan Jews (Uzbekistan and Tajikistan)

Uzbekistan had two distinct Jewish communities. The Ashkenazic Jews (who followed the same traditions largely followed in Eastern Europe) and the Bukharan Jews that were unique to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

Bukharan Snow Haman

It was the custom of the Bukharan Jews at Purim to make snow Hamans. These Haman snowmen would be decorated with fruit peels and various pieces of garbage. At the end of Purim, the Bukharan Jews would light a bonfire and melt the Haman, to wipe out his memory.

At this point, it is probably worth noting that the Bukharan Jews were among the oldest Jewish communities outside of Israel, but for the most part no longer exist. Bukharan Jews traced their roots to at least the 6th Century BCE (to which the oldest Jewish ossuaries there date). Sadly, virtually the entire community has been displaced or destroyed, beginning in the 1990's and collapsing entirely in the last 10 years.

Uzbekistan had a large and ancient Jewish community for centuries. As late as 1989, there were still roughly 95,000 Uzbek Jews. With the fall of the Soviet Union and the rise in Uzbekistan of anti-Semitic Islamist movements culminating in 2005 with the Andijan Massacre, the population of Jews in Uzbekistan essentially evaporated. Today, there are less than 5000 Jews in Uzbekistan, almost all of whom live in and around Tashkent.

Dushanbe Synagogue destroyed by the Tajik government in 2008

Tajikistan also witnessed mass flight of Jews after an independent Tajikistan emerged from the Soviet Union. Before independence, there were roughly 20,000 Jews in Tajikistan, dating back at least to the 2nd Century BCE; today there are less than 100 Jews left in Tajikistan.The final destruction of the Tajik Bukharan Jewish community came in 2008. In 2008, the Tajik government razed the last active synagogue in Dushanbe along with the community's kosher butcher, ritual bath (mikveh) and Jewish schools. The Tajik government did this (without compensating the Jewish community in any way) to build the Palace of the Nation there. After the Tajik government destroyed the synagogue and other centers in 2008, the remaining Jews who were physically able to leave fled to Israel and the United States.

Algeria, Libya and Tunisia

Algerian, Libyan and Tunisian Jews had their own Purim traditions, largely lost today. Before the expulsion of the Jews from Libya and Algeria following the independence of Israel in 1948, these countries had very large Jewish communities. In 1948 there were 140,00 Jews in Algeria  and 38,000 in Libya. Today there are less than 100 Jews in Algeria and none at all in Libya. In Tunisia, where the Jews were not formally expelled but suffered considerable prejudice following the founding of Israel, the Jewish population shrank from 105,00 in 1948 to roughly 1,500 today.

In all three of these countries Jews would make an effigy of Haman out of rags and stuffed with straw. They would then light a bonfire and throw the effigy into the fire, beating it with special sticks brought for the occasion. After the fire burned down, they would throw salt and sulphur onto it and shout "Cursed be Hamand and Zeresh! Blessed be Mordechai and Esther!" 

In Algeria, the custom of lighting candles on Purim was also practiced, a tradition carried on today by some Jews of Algerian origin in France and Israel.

Globally Shared Purim Traditions

Hamentaschen

 

Hamantaschen

Throughout the world in a wide variety of countries (including most of the English-speaking world), Jews eat a special pastries called hamantaschen.  In Yiddish, the name means "Haman's pockets," but are supposed to be shaped like Haman’s triangular hat or Haman's ears. Inside the triangle are fillings such as apricots, poppy seeds, prunes or cherries among others.  An easy recipe for hamantaschen can be found on Purim on the Net website of Holidays.net at 

http://www.holidays.net/purim/goodies.html

The Whole Megillah

The requirement is to read the entire Megillah twice -- once on the eve of the holiday and once on the morning of the holiday. It is from this repeated reading coupled with the numerous interruptions of the noisemaking involved in drowning out Haman's name that the US English expression "the whole megillah" entered the language to mean an overly elaborate or extended account of a story. 

Drinking Alcohol

In many Jewish traditions at Purim, drinking alcohol is – rather uniquely for Judaism – encouraged during the festival.  This tradition developed so that the holiday specifically would not promote intolerance or celebrate the hating of the persecutor; as a result, the tradition is to celebrate to the point that one loses track of the “cursed Haman and the blessed Mordechai.”  The wearing of masks or costumes (akin to the US secular Halloween) also derived from this tradition of not being able to tell apart Haman from Mordechai. 

Costumes, Carnivals and Parades

Jewish children dressed as Esther for Purim

In many Jewish traditions, congregants – especially children – dress up in costume, most commonly those of the key figures in the story. Dressing young girls as Esther is particularly popular, although all figures in the story are common.  In some congregations, there is a Purim play (the Purim Spiel) acting out the story as well. 

To add to the festivities, many congregations hold a Purim carnival with games and other activities on the Saturday evening or Sunday following Purim.

Purim Parade in Ashkelon, Israel

In Israel, Purim is a time of costume parties and public celebrations, somewhat akin to the celebrations held for Carnival or Mardi Gras in Christian countries before Lent. Major parades are held in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Ashkelon and many other Israeli cities on Purim. 

Matanot Le'Evyonim

Jews are required to give “matanot le’evyonim” or gifts to the poor on Purim.  Many Jews extend this to mean specifically the giving of meals or food to the poor. 

Additionally, in Jewish communities in many countries where Christmas is not widely practiced (e.g., Israel, Morocco, Yemen, Turkey, India), the Jewish community exchanges gifts on Purim rather than on Chanukah.

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 Purim!

David A. Victor, Ph.D. (he, him, his)

Professor of Management and International Business

College of Business
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197 USA

​Co-Author:  The 7 Keys to Communicating in Mexico: An Intercultural Approach

Co-Author: ​The 7 Keys to Communicating in Japan: An Intercultural Approach

​Co-Author: ​The 7 Keys to Communicating in Brazil: An Intercultural Approach

Co-Author: Conflict Management: A Communication Skills Approach

Author: International Business Communication

Editor-in-Chief, Global Advances in Business Communication Journal   

Want to Read More?

About.com "Purim": http://judaism.about.com/od/holidays/a/Purim.htm

Alfassa, Shelomo, "Origins of Noise Making to Wipe Out the Evil Name on Purim," Judaic Studies Academic Paper Series, March 2008,  http://www.alfassa.com/paper_purim.pdf

Chabad.org "Purim": http://www.chabad.org/holidays/purim/default_cdo/jewish/Purim.htm

Holidays.net "Purim on the Net": http://www.holidays.net/purim/

Jewish Agency for Israel: "Purim Customs Around the World": http://www.jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/Jewish+Education/Compelling+Content/Jewish+Time/Festivals+and+Memorial+Days/Purim/Purim+Customs+around+the+World.htm

Judaism 101 "Purim" http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday9.htm

Religion Facts "Purim" http://www.religionfacts.com/judaism/holidays/purim.htm

United With Israel, "Colorful & Tasty Purim Customs Around the World." http://unitedwithisrael.org/tasty-colorful-purim-customs-from-around-the-world/

Clip art sources

Happy Purim opening image: http://jewishroots.net/holidays/purim/purim-holiday-page.htm

Chagall's Esther: http://www.wikipaintings.org/en/marc-chagall/esther-1960

Xerxes I: http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/imperialism/images/xerxes.jpg     

Map of ancient Persia: http://70facets.org/messages/2007/PERSIANEMPIRE.png

Aert de Gelder's Esther and Mordechai: http://www.bible-art.info/Esther.htm
Tintoretto's Esther Before Ahasueras: http://www.lib-art.com/artgallery/17354-esther-before-ahasuerus-tintoretto.html

Esther before Ahashueras llumination in Biblia Pauperum: http://www.bible-art.info/Esther.htm

Esther and Ahashueras window, Ste. Chapelle: http://www.wga.hu/support/viewer/z.html

Rembrandt's Ahasueras and Haman at the Feast of Esther: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rembrandt_Harmenszoon_van_Rijn-_Assuerus,_Haman_and_Esther.JPG 

Peter Paul Rubens, Esther Before Ahashueras (1606), Courtauld Gallery, London:http://uploads8.wikipaintings.org/images/peter-paul-rubens/esther-and-ahasverus.jpg

Nicholas Poussin's Esther Before Ahashueras: http://www.wikipaintings.org/en/marc-chagall/esther-1960

Jan Steen's Esther, Ahasuerus, and Haman (1661), Cleveland Museum of Art, https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1964.153

Millais' Esther: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Esthermillais.jpg

Megillah scroll: http://0.tqn.com/d/collectibles/1/0/K/z/3/101megillah.jpg

Purim grogger: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Purim_gragger.jpg

Moroccan Haman's Eyes Bread with Full Face of Haman:
 http://www.ou.org/shabbat_shalom/column/ojos_de_haman_the_eyes_of_haman/ 

Moroccan Haman's Eyes Bread Without Full Face: http://www.secretofchallah.com/site/detail/detail/detailDetail.asp?detail_id=787059

Bukharan Snow Haman: http://cdn.timesofisrael.com/uploads/instagram/51dd96225b5111e2bccc22000a1f8cda_7.jpg 

Dushanbe Synagogue destroyed by the Tajik government in 2008: http://www.vosizneias.com/27506/2009/02/17/dushanbe-tajikistan-jews-concerned-about-fate-of-its-only-synagogue/

Hamantaschen: http://www.holidays.net/purim/goodies.html

Jewish children dressed as Esther for Purim: http://www.holidays.net/purim/costumes2.htm

Ashkelon Purim Parade: http://www.ynetnews.com/PicServer2/20022007/1037759/ashkelon1_wa.jpg

Naw-Rúz, Nowruz, Newruz -- The Bahá'í, Zoroastrian and Persian New Year 2025

 

 

 

 

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 2025 at sunset on Wednesday March 19 and ends at sunset Thursday March 20. 

Additionally, Naw-Rúz is a national holiday observed in eight countries as a cultural observance (as of 2025). This is down from nine as, in 2022, Afghanistan banned Naw-Rúz, where it had previously been an official holiday.

Moreover, 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 post deals with the major 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.

Finally, Naw-Rúz is an official holiday in eight countries, with varying dates and lengths. The following list taken from Office Holidays' Novruz around the world in 2025  gives the country in which this is an official holiday and the dates on which it is observed in 2025.

This is the first of two posts. The later post will deal 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 

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 19, some Baha’is alternatively observe the holiday on March 20 or 21, especially in the United States, Canada, western European countries and India where March 20 or 21 are 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 Muslims 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 Muslim authorities beginning in the 10^th Century CE. By the 12^th Century, most Parsees, faced with a choice of conversion to Islam or death, chose to flee 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

http://davidvictorvector.blogspot.com/2011/10/samhain-all-saints-day-dia-de-los.html

 

 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

http://magicnoruzegg.com/

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

http://davidvictorvector.blogspot.com/2012/02/purim.html

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 ingrained over 3000 years of practice that it is still celebrated in Iran and several bordering areas. 

The people of the regions of the former Persian Empire celebrate Naw-Rúz as a semi-secular holiday. The center of what had been the Persian Empire is today Iran.  Norooz (the Farsi name for Naw-Rúz) is an official, public secular holiday in Iran. Norooz lasts officially for two days and unofficially often runs to four days with many schools and universities often giving 13 days as a sort of spring break period. 

Naw-Rúz is an official holiday in nine countries, with varying dates and lengths. 

The following list gives the country in which this is an official holiday and the dates on which it is observed in 2025

• Albania Sultan Nevruz or Novruz  (March 22)
• Azerbaijan Novruz Bayrami (March 20, with five days off -- counting weekend)
• India (official in Jammu and Kashmir only; widely observed in Gujarat and Mumbai) Novruz (March 21)
• Iran Nowruz (March 20-23)  
• Iraq Eid Norooz (March 20-23, longer by Kurdish minority)
• Kyrgyzstan Nooruz (March 20)
• Tajikistan  Navruz (March 20-22)
• Turkmenistan Novruz  (March 20-21)
• Uzbekistan Navruz (March 21)

These are the official days off. In most of these countries, the holiday lasts for several days to a week longer.

Afghan girls with Naw-Rúz flowers

Naw-Rúz in Afghanistan was banned under Taliban rule. Since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001, Naw-Rúz was once again an Afghan public holiday. With the return of the Taliban, it was banned again be banned as 2022.

 

In other countries where Naw-Rúz is not an official state holiday, it still remains practiced by many minority groups. For example, in China, Uygurs, Salar and Chinese Tajik minorities observe the holiday.

Also, while Georgia does not recognize Nowruz as a state holiday, its large Azerbaijani minority does celebrate the holiday. Nowruz is celebrated in Pakistan primarily in the border region with Afghanistan, with a public festival in Bolchistan's capital Quetta. Likewise, some Shiite Muslim communities in Bangladesh, in their tradition, spraying water and blowing horns.

In both Syria and Turkey, Naw-Rúz is widely celebrated among Kurds.  Because of concerns of Kurdish groups' use of the holiday to promote Kurdish independence, the holiday is at times controversial. In the case of Syria, this provides some confusion as the holiday may at times appear to have been promoted among its Alawite community but tamped down by its Kurdish community.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/

As of this  writing, President Donald Trump has mad no statement regarding the holiday. 

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. Thus, in the nine countries in which it is an official state holiday, Naw-Ruz is viewed  as a cultural observance.

Particularly noteworthy, though, all of the nine countries in which Nowruz is a national holiday are Muslim-majority nations. For 2025, this poses a conflict with the Holy Month of Ramadan, whose fasting requirements are at odds with the festivities of the Naw-Rúz.

 

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 Muslims, 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.

 e 

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 News, https://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:

http://altreligion.about.com/od/holidaysfestivalsevents/p/nawruz.htm

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 

Office Holidays.com (2024), "Novruz Around the World in 2024,"  https://www.officeholidays.com/holidays/novruz 

A. Shaper Shahbazi (nd, retrieved March 19, 2024), “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

BBC Religions (September 25, 2009), “Naw-Rúz,“ http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/bahai/holydays/nawruz.shtml

Baha'i Teachings, "Naw-Ruz: It's a New Day and a New Year" (March 20, 2024), Bahai Teachings.org, https://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:

http://bahai-library.com/walbridge_encyclopedia_nawruz

In Zoroastrianism:

K.E. Eduljee (nd retrieved March 19, 2024), “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:

http://hisamullahbeg.blogspot.com/2010/05/unit-3-performing-faith.html

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

Fravashi: http://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 Rangoli: https://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